A couple of thoughts on the financil crisis

I sometimes do a devotion on line, called Sacred Space. It's an online prayer that guides in a quite time of reflection.

Last week, there was an intro page that had some thoughts on the current financial crisis that I would like to share. I also have one of my own that I will tack on at the end...

Sometimes I feel moral indignation at the greed of the fat cats whose desire for ever-greater profits has exploited the weak. I hope that they may move from blindness to a sense of the real world of people, and realize the futility of their greed that wants more and more money. "What does it profit to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of your soul?" (Mark 8:36) But I know that such indignation is not always from the good spirit; it may be mixed with Schadenfreude in which there is little charity. I need to watch it.

At other times I feel fear and insecurity for myself and my loved ones. This pushes me to look at myself. Does insecurity make me more self-seeking and less caring about the needs of others, lessening my humanity, clouding my sense that people matter more than money? Or does this worldwide turmoil strengthen my compassion? Poverty is not good in itself, but where it leads to a deeper dependence on God and coexists with generosity it can be a rare grace - remember Jesus marveling at the widow's mite (Mark 12:41-43).

My own thought as I was reflecting on this involved the many people who live so far beyond their means and use credit to prolong the inevitable. A financial crisis involving credit will really hurt those who heavily rely on credit. Our prayers should be with them, but also, we need to stop living so far beyond our means.

Every generation wants to live a little better than the previous generation. And we have largely borrowed to do so. We need to give up this notion that success means having more than our parents had. Perhaps success is living a good life and being used by God to accomplish good in the lives of others.