One Headline That Raises Serious Questions

It is hard to believe that we are into October already. Here in Minnesota it feels like summer with record setting heat and drought. But the colors of the trees has been fantastic. How creative is our God in His selection of paints from His magnificent palette.

The headlines just keep reaffirming daily the eternal truths of the Scriptures. Now I know that the vast majority of those writing for the various reporting agencies are not students of the Bible, but at times their writings certainly cause a person to focus in that direction.

Let's begin with the headlines in this morning's Minneapolis Star-Tribune - "Bernanke: Economy Near Faltering." The article, written by Binyamin Appelbaum of the New York Times, goes on to quote the Federal Reserve Chairman: "the recovery is close to faltering. We need to make sure that the recovery continues and doesn't drop back." Bernanke has repeatedly called on Congress to adopt a plan for paying down the nation's debt and to close the many tax loopholes. This news from the Federal Reserve Chairman, coupled with the increasing fears of a total collapse of the Euro-Zone economies, has caused the financial and stock markets around the world to teeter precariously near the brink. Will Greece survive? The opinion of many financial experts is a resounding no. Then I hear this morning of the riots taking place in Greece as people are demanding their rights...even though the Greek government has no money to give to them. (Because Greece is part of the Euro-Zone, it is unable to print its own money). Unless the people are swilling to make the sacrifices, which it appears they are unwilling to do, it looks as if Greece will default. Who knows what will happen them. And many of those same financial experts state that it is only a matter of time until Italy will be the next to fall. Standing in line are Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and France. And the German people are saying that they want no more German taxes gong to bailout these faltering governments. (By the way, I think the British are giving thanks that they never got involved in the Euro-Zone confederation).

Here comes the hard question: Are we willing to make the tough sacrifices that will be asked of us in order to divert an economic collapse here? My gut-instinct tells me that we will riot just as the Greeks are presently doing. We are already seeing the forerunners in the many Wall Street demonstrations taking place around our country. Government: do something about the high prices. Government: do something about the lack of jobs. Government: do something about the inequities around us. What has happened to the American ideal of ingenuity and hard work? What has happened to that American spirit that says "together we can do anything?" We have become to dependent upon someone else orchestrating our lives, solving our problems, taking away the pain. We have forgotten what it is like to work together as a people for a common goal and purpose. This is the nation that built the transcontinental railroad. This is the nation that carved a canal through the jungles of Panama. This is the nation that sent men to the surface of the moon. What have we labored together to accomplish lately? What has happened to that spirit of cooperation between the public and private sectors of our country? Cooperation has been replaced with competition. The result has bordered on the catastrophic.

I am asked if our nation can be turned around. My response is usually very negative, I am saddened to admit. I just do not see a spirit of sacrifice among the American people. Our demands are too great. Our dependency is too entrenched.

I believe that leadership for any type of turn around must begin with those who are called by Jesus Christ. It is time for us to take our focus off the things of this world and begin to prepare ourselves for that which is to come. It is time for the Church to become the hands and feet of Jesus. David Plat is correct when he writes in his best-seller "Radical" that Christians need to begin down-sizing and to begin focusing upon the needs around them.

One headline in today's paper. Is my hope based upon an economy that is near faltering? Or is my hope based upon a coming King and His kingdom?