Turbulent Economic Times

Haggai 1:5-6

 5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

Consider that this passage was written 2500 years ago. . . . . Clearly the prophet is telling us to plan accordingly.  The Hebrew people never planned on being in exile.  They never planned on  rebuilding the temple.  They never planned on what amounted to a major economic meltdown.  Next time lets have a little foresight people, the prophet says!

But vs 6 raises more questions.  Is the writer speaking to the fact that times are tough, simply telling us that people are struggling to make ends meet?  Is the writer writing suggesting that even when we have enough, we are never satisfied?  Is the writer writing to indicate that riches cannot satisfy the longing of the soul.  Be it one or all of the above the writer seems to be reaching through the pages to tell us our situation is nothing new.

Fear Everywhere

"Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!" 

                           Thomas Edison

Fear seems to be prevailing these days.  I blame the media.  I don't condemn them, they are doing their job.  Oh no, I don't mean they are doing their job, effectively reporting the news.  I think they are doing their job selling stories. And drama sells!  Have you heard the inflammatory language that I have heard?  Have you witnessed the contradictory statements that the media constructs so as to create Drama.  One day the "recession is soon to be over"  the average recession lasts only 18 months and well we are already 12 months in.  The next day reporters report that it could be 2013 before we are out of this.  Its called tension.  I don't know about you, but I have enough in my life without someone or something construing some. 

 

To top it off, we buy in.  We buy in. . . .and even more so too many are panicking.  This may be the first recession that you may be living through, and who knows maybe it will be a depression.  But it won't be the last.  We can be fearful, and panic or we can be courageous and have faith.  We must learn from our situation and know that the light of God will prevail, regardless of how dark things may be.  

Manipulation of religion

I love this guy---meets with pastors today.  Declares his innocence?  Interesting.  

This one of my pet peeves, the manipulation of religion by those in politics!  When it works for me, when I need religion,  I draw religion close.  Have you noticed how government at all levels does that?  

On the other hand,  when it becomes uncomfortable or inconvenient, government burns religion at the stake!  I wonder how God feels about this. . . 

For more read,  "A Culture of Disbelief"  Stephen Carter

Give it away

When was the last time you enjoyed something so much that you gave it away?  It could be anything.  

Recently someone said to me, "I love my church."  "What do you love about your church?"  I replied.  

"Everything!"  Was her reply.  

Being I am one of the pastors at the church, I couldn't help but to try and pat myself on the back.  Sprained my elbow in the effort.   I suppose that is what one gets when patting one's self on the back.  Anyhow. . . .

But I wondered how much do you really love this church.  Can you contain your joy?  Do you love it enough to give it away?

I do believe that too often that joy often comes with amnesia.  That bliss is often myopic.  

We forget the pain, the struggle, the loneliness that we knew before we found wholeness.  We forget too often, not always the struggle of life pre-joy.  Remembering is what we do.  By remembering we not only celebrate the joy of today, but are grateful for what we have now and have learned from the past.  

In remembering and what was, we are reminded that what we have is so blessed that we cannot contain it ourselves, but we must give it away.  

I have to agree with Len Sweet when he said, "Writing is like passing a kidney stone. . . "  I do however find myself drawn to it.  No, not passing a kidney stone but writing.  

Thanksgiving was great.  I do find my thanksgiving perspective has shifted post-Tanzania.  Having traveled there this past summer to do work at the faithworks (www.faithworks4us.org) orphanage, to do teacher training and a medical clinic, I see our life situation here in America much differently.  

We complain about a healthcare system that is broken, and yes I believe that it is broken but it is nothing compared to healthcare in developing nations.  We complain about the cost of an ambulance ride, that although it may not have been entirely necessary or perhaps it may have saved our lives, nonetheless, we complain about the cost and once we are well, complain about the fights we had with the insurance company.  For our brothers and sisters in Tanzania an ambulance ride might consist of a wheelbarrow or on the handlebars of a bicycle.  And by the way, what is health insurance.  No cash, no health care services rendered.    

We complain about our education system, and I agree there are improvements that could be made.  While in Tanzania we did a  teacher training for Christian educators.  Although we were clear about this with the leadership of the churches there, the word seeped out and many government school teachers came too (government schools are public schools).  We had 62 people come to be trained in the teacher training.  They came from all across the countryside.  Some walked 3 hours each morning to get there.  That means they walked three hours home too.   

We complain about our schools and pull our children in and out of schools without a thought. Charter schools, public schools, alternative educational programs, magnet schools, vocational training schools, we are so fortunate with so many choices.  Our brothers and sisters in Tanzania have choices too, but there is a difference.  There are not nearly enough teachers to begin with.  There has been a widespread AIDS epidemic that has impacted the working force.  970000 AIDS orphans in Tanzania.  There are not just orphans, there are fewer teachers, fewer workers. Oh,  and with fewer workers, children are forced to work.  This means that many children don't make it to school.  Fewer than 10% of all children will make it secondary school (high school) at all.  There is much more about the education system that I could share, but I tell you I am thankful for the teachers that I call friends, that teach my children at a good school, Thomas elementary in Flagstaff, AZ.  

We complain about the foster care system in our nation.  We have an estimated 600000 kids in foster care in the U.S.  compared to 900000 AIDS orphans in Tanzania.  We have much work to do in this area.  But we, as we do, criticize those who are working diligently as advocates for children in this nation.  We have no one to criticize but ourselves.  The children are ours!  I do think that this is one area we have fallen down.  We could do better.  Our brothers and sisters in Tanzania told me a story about how they feel about their children.  

Years ago when a twin was born they would kill one.  Now I don't know how long ago this was, but however long ago it was too recent for me.  One of the twins would be killed because for a poor family (most families)  it would be too much of a burden.  Somewhere along the line, this changed and what they realized is that each child, every child, might just be the next president, the next great leader, the next needed teacher.  They don't have a foreign adoption policy in Tanzania.  They do all they can to care for their children.  To the last extended family member, they will care for their children because each child is valued.  We have much to learn from our brothers and sisters.  

We have much to be thankful for.