There are events that shape every generation. My grandparents were shaped by the great depression. My parents were shaped by Vietnam and the 60's. Our generation is being shaped by 9/11 and now this economic crisis of 2008. For some, the crisis is still a bit removed from them. They still have a job, and they are making their mortgage payments so they can keep their homes. For others, however, this crisis is intensely personal. They are trying to figure out if they can keep their homes and feed their children. They are scrambling to find a new job or piece together mulitiple jobs in order to provide for their families. It is a painful time.
I've been wondering what God is doing among us at such a time as this. Certainly God is intensely concerned about the poor and the struggling. God always takes particular interest in those in need of help. Certainly God is calling the Church to extend hospitality, care, and tangible aid to a growing number of people who find themselves in need. In the big picture, though, I also believe God is inviting us to evaluate our current economic practices as individuals and as a nation.
Our economic system is an expression of the values and desires of our society. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." For years we Americans have valued and desired more and more wealth, comfort, and pleasure. We have been taught and have literally "bought into" the idea that more is always better: more money, more food, more house, more to do in less time, more sales, more promotions, more awards, more stuff. I'm no economist, but common sense indicates to me that the insatiable, unsustainable desire for more, which has driven the economic growth in America and the world, must have a limit. The assumption underlying the irresponsible risks many companies have taken seemed to be that there was no ceiling to our consumption, no limit, no law of diminishing returns to our appetites. Greedy for more of the profit pie, many companies and individuals lost all grasp of reality, taking exaggerated risks in lending and housing. Many forgot that there really are limits to even the most voracious of appetites. I am reminded of the still photo of a giant python in the Everglades that exploded trying to eat an alligator. Truly more is not always better.
Well, the child hitting the ceiling while jumping up and down on the bunk bed has a more clear understanding of boundaries, and unfortunately, we are learning that there are boundaries to our consumption and our earning potential. The pain of this discovery is already evident for many. But beyond the pain, or better yet, through the pain, is God present and inviting us to grow and learn? I have to say, "yes!" God has consistently done this throughout history. The Israelites endured the discomfort of wandering in the wilderness before entering the promised land. The gruesome cross of Jesus led to the empty tomb and opened the pathway to a new quality of life with God. Romans 5: 1-5 reveals one of the patterns in God's bigger picture...God can produce good things through suffering, namely a reshaping of our character. So what good is God inviting us to in the current crisis?
Here are a few ideas:
1. God is inviting us to clarify our wants from our needs. In American culture, we expect so much in the way of material things and in the way of entertainment that we are easily disappointed. Chronic disappointment leads to chronic unhappiness. I believe this is an opportunity for us to get reasonable again about our expectations, to cultivate a deeper gratitude for all that we have and have been given each day. The more clear we are about our needs, the more clearly we can see how God does provides us with daily bread. A life of gratitude for basic needs is more enjoyable than a life of dissatisfaction for not getting our wants fulfilled.
2. God is inviting us to consider simplifying our way of life. There is a beauty and joy in living simply. I once heard someone say, "The more things you own, the more things own you." In my own experience of life, the more things I try to pack into my days and the more things I have to take care of that I own, the less time I spend actually enjoying the gift of life, the people I've been given to relate to, and the God who has given it all. Living with less can be a freeing experience, leading us to greater focus on what's important and to greater contentment and gratitude.
3. God is inviting us to open our eyes to the experience of the poor. Several people I have spoken to in the last few weeks have said, "I realize how close many of us are to being homeless and hungry. It makes me wonder about the stories of the people I see on the street and how they got there." In good economic times, it is tempting to believe that poor people are poor because of their own poor choices. Times like these reveal that we are all vulnerable, and that we ought not to be quick to judge another person but be concerned with extending a hand to those in need.
4. God is inviting people of faith in Jesus to share with those in need. When Jesus desired to feed 5,000 people desparate to be with him even without food, he took what was available, gave thanks for it and gave it to the people to share. Though it was meager, it was more than enough. The early Christians shared their resources, giving to those who had a need so that all had what they needed. Sharing not only fills hungry bellies, but it promotes love and well being in relationships. It promotes community.
My grandma and grandpa used to come over to my house when I was young, and my grandfather would tell story after story (often the same stories over and over again) about living on a farm in the depression. He shared about the complete lack of money and how his family couldn't afford Christmas presents. But he also shared that it was the closest he ever felt to his neighbors and his community. If one family raised pigs on their farm, they would share the meat with the others. If another family had a good crop of vegetables, they would share too. No one had a need that they couldn't meet together. They certainly didn't have everything in life that they wanted. But to see the gleam in my grandfather's eyes when he talked about life with his family and neighbors during the depression made me believe he had more than that.
