Some lessons are hard
October 28, 2008 (Tuesday)
An economic expert is predicting that our financial troubles are only beginning and in time the financial markets will shut down for at least a week to minimize panic. I don’t know if his predictions are anywhere near the mark, but after hearing a special presentation on T.V. last night about the practices that have precipitated the current financial crisis, it is harder for me to do what I said we need to do in yesterday’s blog (“chill”). In 1933 and 1934, the nation passed laws that made certain practices illegal because they had caused major problems—the very same kind we are now having again. Those same practices were legalized again by an act of Congress in 2000. At least that’s the way I understand the television program I saw last night. The more we learn about how all this came about, the more it seems that many, many people were completely aware of what has been going on but have been convinced until recently that it would all work out well somehow. Well, evidently it hasn’t. History has repeated itself, as it always does.
But we keep coming back, as Christians, to our faith, especially to the teachings of Jesus about worldly possessions. He warned us repeatedly about putting our trust in riches, and specifically said a person’s life does not consist of money and material things. Please go back to Matthew 5-7 and read again the Sermon the Mount, where Jesus explains to us how life really works. We can have happiness and peace of mind, but they are available to us on terms that are sometimes disagreeable to us. We have become steeped in the world’s value systems, and we find it difficult to break away into the values of the Kingdom of God.
Once more, please let me quote this wonderful passage of Scripture: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:4-8 NIV).