A Chill in the Air
November 16th, 2008 Posted in photo, writingIn this era of global warming, there’s a global chill in the soul thanks to our difficult and unpredictable economy. We wonder how long the economic downturn will last, but shouldn’t we also wonder how far the bonds that unite people can stretch before they begin to unravel? If we come to regard the welfare of our immediate families as the only real issue and that of others as none of our business, or, worse, consider other people as enemies in the competition for economic security, then the whole fabric of society will be at risk.
In these chilly times, economists and policy makers have important work to do. But we followers of Jesus have opportunities and responsibilities as well. We will have to explicitly re-assert the truth that, simply by virtue of being children of God, we are all connected to each other and that those who are hurt most and have the fewest resources for weathering the economic storms have a claim on us all.
We will also have to pay special attention to those who have, following the lead of American culture, based their self-esteem on material possessions and the positions of influence that come along with wealth. When the bankruptcy of those beliefs begins to show itself, then we need to be able to talk about a dignity that is God-given and has nothing to do with economic standing. And we need to do this not for the purpose of making converts, but to provide people a sound basis for living in hope.
To put it in a different way, if the gospel is really “good news,” then it has to be so not just for the fat years but for the lean as well. It is up to believing individuals and communities of faith to discover and articulate what the gospel means for these times — and thus bring some warmth to our cold days.
3 Responses to “A Chill in the Air”
By Katie Pacyna on Nov 17, 2008
It’s snowing in Chicago today so this especially rings true on a couple levels for me. “Hear, hear,” Frank. I’m so with you on this reflection. But it also makes me think of 2 other things.
First, I wish we could get used to thinking in more dimensions than one when we talk about those with resources and those without. Money talks and there’s no doubt about that. But especially this year, I hear the Gospel through the person of Jesus seriously challenging us to consider what other kinds of resources we’re missing or lacking. I wonder when we faithful will actually realize that emotional resources and social resources and spiritual resources (like our communities that give us a place to belong and give us purpose) are equal in importance and consequence to monetary resources. Of course, I hear the argument “You can’t live on love.” Well, no. It won’t pay the bills. But is paying the bills all there is to living? Can we really say we’re living if all we’re doing is paying the bills? People panic when the economy is in the dumper b/c any future security or stability is questioned. But maybe if we were more concerned with a lack of other kinds of resources, we wouldn’t rely so heavily on economic ones to determine the worth of our lives. My question is, “How?” That’s always the stumper.
And I have a request. On Sunday (11/16) we just heard the Gospel reading about the talents. This one always leaves me completely confused. Might you consider doing a bit of reflection on that reading or pointing me to a source that could give me some insight? I feel it’s time to wrestle with this one for real.
By Paul Akre on Dec 2, 2008
There is real chill in the air and it is fueled by many thing such as: selfishness greed and those who feel that they can follow Jesus and vote for advocates of abortion. Do ya realy think Jesus would vote for anyone who advocates abortion? If one wishes to defuse the tension between the classes one must address the issue of respect. The culture of death is nutured by the attitude that the right to kill the innocent is ok. Where is the respect for life in the unconditional abortion agenda. If you do not respect the life of another, regardless of where they live, another country or the womb, one can not hope to achieve self respect for the golden rule is violated: Do unto others as you have them do unto you.
By Brock on Mar 8, 2010
This is why I like http://www.frankmajka.com. Insightful posts.