Life in New York City feels a bit precarious these days. News reports of financial turmoil, job losses, and bank failures hit home here. It is said every job on Wall Street creates three jobs in the city. These are scary times.
What is at risk?
This week’s lectionary reading contains what I like to call the dogshit epistle. “I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…” The Greek word here can be translated as dogshit.
Our financial system and our American way of life is a blessing. It is a wondrous way of living which allows for great freedom and a flourishing of the human spirit. But it is temporary. It is passing. The American dream, which seems so real today, is slightly different from that same dream in the 80’s or the 60’s or the 40’s. We have changed demographically, socially, religiously. As a people, we want different things, the culture changes. It is passing.
3:8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. Philippians 3:4b-14
In times like this it is apparent to me to hold fast to that which is good. I would lose my head (I though I did a few times already), if I didn’t have eternal truth to which I might hold fast.
A friend of mine said a few months back when we were talking of finance and mergers and the passing nature of what seems so real, “I can’t believe I have outlived Chemical Bank.” The illusion of security that banks create and maintain can lull us into thinking that they will be around forever. The truth is as soon as the market loses faith in a bank, the myth is exposed and it crumbles.
Much of the crisis right now is due to a loss of faith. Banks won’t trade short term debt obligations with each other for fear of default and the financial markets cannot operate. The banks and the companies which trade with them cannot fund their operations. The system is broken down. No faith.
I want to believe in something eternal. Something not subject to the whims of “the market”.
Where is your faith?
Oh yeah... And no matter how bad it gets, there is always that bit about resurrection.
http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/APentecost/AProper22.htm
Spring: Coming Back To Life
16 years ago
3 comments:
Faith. I'm in such a place of conflict about it. Some days I see God's providence so clearly - I see how God was faithful in bringing me to this place at this time. It is so right in so many ways. But there are so many things that are such a struggle right now; I have had a hard time finding abundance in the midst of the blessings. I guess I'm feeling like God is being stingy. But maybe I'm just being greedy.
I was just randomly praying for you the other day and meant to drop you a line.
Good to see you writing.
Ian, its been awhile. I don't know if you'll ever see this, but I was sitting here in class and thought I'd google the rogue theologian. I remember reading your first blogpost. email me if you want at justingeiger@hotmail.com.
Its to bad that you havent posted anything in a long time. But life is life. I hope all is well and hope you read this. Until then peace out.
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