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For those of you who live in milder climes, the news of spring may not be so special. But for most of us real Canadians, it is glad tidings as good as the safe delivery of a newborn child. You suddenly feel the energy to clean the mess left in the middle of your garden conveniently covered by snow. You continue planning the gardening, cleaning up inside and outside the house, changing a few appliances, repairing leaky taps and pipes, and maybe putting a new floor (oh, but, you have to wait till there is new paint on the walls). As the list gets longer, your house gets more life in it. Why not a new kitchen and new bathrooms? Maybe you should renovate the whole house. Oh well, you should move to another house this year. You have waited long enough and you deserve it. So you grab the newspaper. Alas! Headlines remind you of what you have forgotten. We are in the midst of the worst recession in decades.
Everyday, we hear more bad news—job losses, increasing bankruptcies, slow merchandise sales, and gloomy economic forecasts. Many banks around the world are closed due to asset mismanagement. Seemingly formidable global corporations are critically ill and about to collapse. Yes, indeed, it is a global recession in which everybody suffers.
And we haven’t yet seen the bottom. As we are trying to live through this time of uncertainty and financial difficulty, we look for some explanations: “How did it happen so fast and furiously?” It started with greed. Everybody wanted to have more and they all jumped on the bandwagon. They ignored speed limits, stop signs and all traffic lights to get to the target faster than others. Of course, they didn’t tell the public about it. The public was just happy to see high returns on their anual reports.
Arrogance and negligence contributed greatly to the current situation. There were many poignant warnings and loud whistles over the past few years but no one wanted to pay any attention to them. They were so sure they could manage any challenge. They believed that the public would be too ignorant to realize the implications of the situation. The sad part is that honest and hard working people suffer the most in this situation. Now everyone feels the pinch. It is the reality. Churches around the country are being affected by the situation as well. Some churches have experienced a sharp drop in their offerings.
As we go through this depressing reality, we should remember two things. First, this is not the end but only a part of the process. We shouldn’t be pessimistic about the situation. It will take some time yet. So we move on. Second, let us not become the victims of this recession. People ask, “If it is true that money cannot buy us happiness, why are we so unhappy about this situation?” We have to admit that we are easily affected by our daily bread. We are only creatures, not the Creator. Yet we shouldn’t allow this unpleasant situation to rule our lives.
Individuals and families will experience more disputes in times of economic crisis. Yet don’t let the recession creep into your family room. Don’t bring it into your relationships. Don’t let this crisis control your spiritual life. Don’t let this situation make your life a recession. Because you will be here long after the recession is over and you are more precious to God than anything else in the world.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all people know your forbearance. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)
