>“What is a Christian response to a deepening economic crisis like this? What should people of faith be thinking, saying, and doing? What is the responsibility of the churches to their own parishioners, to their communities, to the nation and the world? And where is God in all this?
What does the Bible say about all the issues now being raised? What does our theology tell us about money and possessions, wealth and power, credit and responsible financial choices, economic values vs. family values, lifestyle and stewardship, generosity and justice, and both personal and social responsibility?”
Jim Wallis (God’s Politics)

At this point I wish to continue some of my babble on the economic crisis and how Christians should respond to this time. I mentioned in an earlier post that “this economic crisis seems to be characterised by 3 aspects;

1. Corruption
2. Greed
3. Fear

And how the so-called antidote to these is seen in INTEGRITY, GENEROSITY AND LOVE. I have mentioned that these are core attributes that we as Christians need to demonstrate within the church, but more so in our everyday living. Our interaction with people, within our businesses, workplace, and the most importantly in our ”hidden” personal lives.

We move now into the 3rd area I mentioned – that of LOVE. What do I mean by this? How is love demonstrated in such a time? What relation does it even have to economy, my life today? It seems a somewhat un-economical attribute. We can talk about Love in terms of marriage or relationships but in the context of an economic crisis, it perhaps does not quite warrant our attention.

Let me first address the issue of FEAR
I always remember, for some reason, those devilish looking stickers with the words “NO FEAR”, usually to be found on motorbikes or skateboarders and the like. A seeming dedication to face danger without thought for one’s own immediate risk!
Within this economic crisis fear is a very real feeling. We fear that which seems apparent, and threatens our current status. For example, is my job safe? Will I be able to pay my mortgage? If I can’t, what will happen…will I be like so many who have been evicted from their homes. Will I be able to pay my bills, provide for me family. We suddenly realise that our current form of living is no longer able to be sustained and we become “scared” about the unknown future.

In the Daily Mail today, I came across an article explaining that “fear might be catching…Research has shown that the sweat we produce when we are scared gives off signals that are subconsciously picked up by others…There may be a hidden biological component to human social dynamics, in which emotional stress, is quite literally, “contagious”.“

The reality is that currently there is a sense of FEAR ”going around“. Whether spread through sweat, or simply the fact that so many are financially struggling, I am not one to say. However, God does have various things to say in response to fear, and this, as Christians, is something we should be looking at, and perhaps helping our communities to practically deal with.

How wonderful it would be to see the church be a guiding force in how to deal with these times of crisis.

Related posts:

1. In God's Economy…
2. God's Economy – Generosity (Part 3) It's in your jeans…I mean Genes!
3. In God's Economy – Generosity (part 1)
4. God's Economy – Generosity (Part 4)
5. God's Economy: All you need is Love…