Economy's loss, our gain

The economy's current troubles seem to be so multi-layered. There's the credit crunch that makes it hard for businesses (and even individuals) to get loans. Then there's the bailout that is causing the national debt to skyrocket. The shrinking of the economy is threatening all kinds of small businesses that could never hope for a government rescue, of course. And finally, there's the rising level of unemployment that is threatening the livelihood of families all over the country.

Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the recession is that nobody knows when it will end or how bad it will get. And that's a recipe for nation-wide anxiety.

With all the bad news we hear from the media everyday, it would be nice to hear a little good news for a change.

My column in the UM Reporter this week looks at the opportunity that living in the midst of this economic downturn can give to us as disciples of Jesus. Our consumer lifestyles don't have much patience for the teaching in the New Testament - from Jesus and elsewhere - that we should be very wary of over-indulgence in material luxuries. But the recession seems to be doing to us what Jesus is not, and that is causing us to re-evaluate lifestyles that focus way too much on mammon and way to little on God.

I don't think God makes a habit out of inflicting suffering on us very often. But God can certainly use the suffering we do experience for the good. And who knows? Maybe that's the good news that can come out of our current economic woes. If the recession draws us closer to Christ, then the economy's loss is our gain.