Difficult times, difficult globe, share what you have (that's really not too difficult)
So last Sunday Pastor Bob from First Presbyterian Church of Rockford shared about giving to those in need, and the status of our Country's economy was not ignored.
Families across the Country, including those that attend churches, have been hit by nosedives of corporation after corporation and associated plunges on Wall Street. None of us are immune to the effects all of this has had on our savings and retirement funds. Food costs, gasoline and utilities continue to be increasingly difficult financial concerns.
For those of us under 60 years of age, if ever there was a time that we wondered about living through the great depression, Pastor Bob told us . . . 'this is it.' For us, this is our Country's great economic crisis - we are living ‘history.’
For those of us under 60 years of age, if ever there was a time that we wondered about living through the great depression, Pastor Bob told us . . . 'this is it.' For us, this is our Country's great economic crisis - we are living ‘history.’
He mentioned a recent article in Newsweek discussing this time as one of the greatest financial panics of all time. Its author Fareed Zakaria discusses that the financial situation we are facing today has forced the United States to confront its own bad habits but further that if we can kick those habits, today's pain will translate into gains.
Excerpts from Fareed Zakaria's article, There Is a Silver Lining:
“Amid all the difficulties and hardship that we are about to undergo, I see one silver lining. This crisis has—dramatically, vengefully—forced the United States to confront the bad habits it has developed over the past few decades. If we can kick those habits, today's pain will translate into gains in the long run.
"Since the 1980s, Americans have consumed more than they produced—and they have made up the difference by borrowing.”
"The average household owns 13 credit cards, and 40 percent of them carry a balance, up from 6 percent in 1970. But the average American's behavior was virtue itself compared with the government's. Every city, every county and every state has wanted to preserve its many and proliferating operations and yet not raise taxes.”
"If there is a lesson to be taken from this crisis, it's a simple and old rule of economics: there is no free lunch. If you want something, you have to pay for it. "
"The United States—and other overleveraged societies—have now gotten the wake-up call from hell. If we can respond and change our behavior markedly, this might actually be a blessing in disguise. "
"Since the 1980s, Americans have consumed more than they produced—and they have made up the difference by borrowing.”
"The average household owns 13 credit cards, and 40 percent of them carry a balance, up from 6 percent in 1970. But the average American's behavior was virtue itself compared with the government's. Every city, every county and every state has wanted to preserve its many and proliferating operations and yet not raise taxes.”
"If there is a lesson to be taken from this crisis, it's a simple and old rule of economics: there is no free lunch. If you want something, you have to pay for it. "
"The United States—and other overleveraged societies—have now gotten the wake-up call from hell. If we can respond and change our behavior markedly, this might actually be a blessing in disguise. "
We are experiencing a major world-wide economic crisis. It is both a scary situation and a time to stand up and do right. We have our wake up call; we can make this a blessing in disguise.
In my city of Rockford there are 295,635 people with 37,546 people living in poverty. People throughout our Country have lost their homes to foreclosure, regular people, people who don't lose homes. And, I believe this is just the beginning. I believe it will get worse before it gets better.
I am living day to day for the first time in my life and yet my Pastor is telling me that even in these days we are called to share with those who are in need.
He took care to explain that we are not called to share from what we don't have. We are called to share from what we have. If we have an extra can or two of food in our pantry, donate it to the local food pantry. If you have three coats, can you spare a coat to a person who has not even one.
It is a time of heavy thoughts about the future, but we can do right. Live within our means, no free lunch and share from what we have with those who are in need. This we can do. We are indeed living history and more now than ever must watch out for our neighbor and share as we can.
Newsweek
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