The Financial Crisis from One Christian's Perspective (Part 5)

I want to close this series with a few brief, but I think, important points.

First: Let's not lose our heads. A CNN poll of Americans conducted on October 4 and 5, indicated that 60% of the adult population thought that the country was at least somewhat likely to slide into a depression. This is, quite frankly, an example of "chicken littleism." As the CNN article that revealed the poll results noted:

...economists, even many who feel current economic risks are dire, generally don't believe another depression is likely.

"We've been in a recession all year and it's going to get worse," said Anirvan Banerji, director of research for the Economic Cycle Research Institute. "We're going from a relatively mild recession to a more painful recession. But we're a long, long way from a depression."

A survey taken last week by the National Association of Business Economists asked members what would happen if the $700 billion bailout that passed Friday fails to fix frozen credit markets. The consensus forecast of those economists was that, even if continued problems choke off credit to businesses and consumers, unemployment would rise to just 7% in the second quarter of next year .

Other economists recently contacted by CNNMoney.com said that the unemployment rate could rise as high as 10% to 12% next year if the bailout does not work. While that could be roughly double the current 6.1% unemployment rate, it would be only half of the worst rate seen in the Great Depression of the 1930s.

None of this should be seen as belittling the plight of those who are without work, in danger of losing their work, looking at possible foreclosure, or experiencing the loss of pension value, especially people already retired possessing no way to replenish portions of their losses by generating work income.

But the financial crisis is unlikely to lead to the kinds of long-term financial hardships that came to this country and the rest of the world in 1929.

Even if it does, though, God is still God. Psalm 46, in the Bible's Old Testament, inspired Martin Luther, who lived for decades under the threat of execution on sight, to compose one of the greatest Christian hymns, A Mighty Fortress is Our God. The psalm begins with a statement of faith:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

³though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult...

In the intervening centuries, the God Who revealed Himself to a chosen people, Israel, came into the world to extend and expand His rule of love over more than just a single people. In Jesus Christ, God offers forgiveness of sin and new and everlasting life to all who dare to believe in Him.

No matter how dark and difficult life can be, we have the promise of Christ's presence today and the hope of an endless future with God. As the apostle Paul, no stranger to tough times, writes in the New Testament portion of the Bible:
³²³⁹³⁹

If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?... I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39)

The God Who voluntarily became human in order to be one with us in living and dying so that all with faith in Him can be one with Him in His rising is not going to abandon us because the Dow has gone down and the economy needs to be shored up.

Keep your dobber up. God is still God. God still cares about you. God will not abandon you. Even if we lose everything--and the value of my pension's investments have dropped by deep-double-digit amounts since the beginning of this quarter, those who rely on God won't lose what is most important: life through Jesus Christ!

Second: Now is the time to put our faith into action. The New Testament book of James, written by one of Jesus' earthly brothers, is a call to Christians to do more than talk about their faith in Jesus, to trust that the Savior Who gave His life for us will support us as we give our lives in service and love to God and neighbor. James upbraided those Christians who seemed to be concerned for those who are deprived, but did nothing about that concern:
¹⁶

If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? (James 2:15-16)

Admittedly, James is here referring to the care of Christians for each other. But Jesus makes it clear that love of others is to include more than just those who share our faith.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus demonstrates that a neighbor is anyone who has a need. Jesus doesn't expect us to do more than we can do, but He doesn't want us to do less than we can do either.

In His parable, Jesus talks about three men, each of whom had the chance to give relief and help to the victim of a mugging. Two "religious" people passed the man by. A third, member of an ethnic group hated by Jesus' fellow Jews, helped the man.

In this financial crisis, help whoever you can whenever you can, even if the help you can provide and the help that's needed is just giving a listening ear or a promise of prayer. Many of us will likely be able to do more than that.

And this brings me to my final point: Don't underestimate what you can do. Or more accurately, don't underestimate what God can do through you, if you're willing.

Last night, at our congregation's church council meeting, we read Mark 6:34-44. It presents one of the New Testament's four different narratives of a famous incident in Jesus' earthly ministry: the feeding of the 5000.

What's so interesting about this text is that after Jesus tells His disciples to feed the rudderless, hungry people around them and they protest they don't have 200 denarii* to get the food needed to feed this brood, Jesus tells them to do an inventory. "How many loaves have you?" He asks. "Go and see." They soon report back, "Five and two fish." Jesus miraculously stretches these meager supplies into enough to feed everybody there...with plenty left over.

The point: Give God what you have and God will make more of it. If you have a genuine desire to love God and love neighbor and are willing to stand under Christ's authority, you can bring real help to your neighbor, whether the need is spiritual, emotional, physical, or financial.**

The motto of the state in which I live, a place hard-hit by current economic conditions, Ohio, comes from words spoken by Jesus: With God all things are possible.

I believe that. You can too.

*A single denarius was a day's pay for a common laborer.

**This idea is developed in a book called The Great Permission. It's called a field guide for congregations on using asset based planning. Asset based planning, in the Christian context, is refusing to base planning on needs, but based on what we have and how, if we submit them to God's purposes, God can use them.

[UPDATE: When I realized what was the substance of this post by my blogging friend, John Schroeder, I waited to read it. I didn't want to plagiarize the piece! Its substance was clear from its title: BE CONFIDENT! I knew that his subject there would be a topic I would address in this final installment. I just read John's piece this morning after having written my post here last night. I highly recommend that you go read John's post right now.]