"Hunkering Down" in 2003

You really have to say it with a Bush-style Texas drawl to get the full effect: Hunkering Down... that seems to be the mood for the country for the coming year.  In virtually every area of our society we are in a post 9/11 crisis that threatens and undermines all of our assumptions about what life in our country is supposed to be like.  Life is going to take on a decidedly hard edge in the foreseeable future.

A review of news stories for the past year is dominated by one word: scandal. In telecommunications, energy, banking, securities, politics - and even the Catholic Church - this became the focus for so much of the nation's attention. Trent Lott, Cardinal Bernard Law, Martha Stewart, Michael Jackson (ok, he's just getting weirder), Bernie Ebbers, Jack Welch, Kenneth Lay and "the Perp Walk" became household words during this past year, all in very bad ways. Time Magazine's Persons of the Year for 2002 (December 30, 2002/January 6, 2003) are "The Whistleblowers" who risked their lives and livelihood to report the fundamental problems they found while employed at WorldCom, Enron and the FBI.  The articles make for fascinating and frightening reading, giving us insight into the hubris, abuses of power and wealth, and corporate greed, and the culture that these attitudes spawned in our nation.  Some have actually blamed these people for the problems they confronted.  It's almost unbelievable.  Yet, the need for their difficult choices and hardship is a symptom and outgrowth of something far worse, something that we aren't finished struggling with.

I'm afraid that an unintended consequence of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 - I say unintended because I don't think the terrorists were that bright - was that many things in our nation's culture and economy that were built on shaky ground, or worse, on lies, fabrications, cover-ups and greed - even the ones that worked pretty well for a while, have begun to crumble.  One may say that it is deservedly so, but the problem that many not-so-culpable businesses, and scores of innocent people, will suffer.  The "ripple effect" will work its way through our economy and many, many lives will change as the economy constricts.  Airlines, travel, retail, and non-profits - all are struggling or failing.  Easy money, easy to find jobs and easy lifestyles are going to become a lot scarcer.  Anxiety, however, is not scarce.

If all this seems too negative, I'm sorry, but that isn't really the intent.  I think it's all a precursor to significant change.  Will that change be for the better?  Or will it be more of the same?  Many don't see much hope for positive movement. The above-mentioned Time article on the FBI shake-up noted that all of the people in charge when so many things were overlooked were promoted or even put in charge!  Some shake-up! Bad attitudes are slow enough to change without putting the people who developed them in control.  Most people doubt that any of the white-collar criminals will serve any significant jail time for their crimes, even though the results of their actions and attitudes caused billions in losses.  And while Cardinal Law was forced to resign, many do not yet see the kind of cultural change in the Catholic Church required to rectify the mishandling of abusive priests and their victims.

Almost worse than no change at all is the alternative of becoming a whistle blowing society, where everything turns sour, where the disgruntled and unhappy of the world become the heroes, modeled after a bad Russian spy movie that has KGB agents and informants lurking around every corner, waiting to turn in a friend, relative or co-worker to gain favor.  Ok, so I've been watching too many old James Bond movies (Sean Connery IS the best Bond, by the way), but my concern is that we don't' have to be that way.  We can CHOOSE to simply do what's right, to be the best we can be where we are, to live faithfully, honestly, caringly, AND JOYFULLY.

As God's people, even while living in this broken world, we can still find hope and joy in "going back to the fundamentals," as they say.  By putting our natural (and sinful) tendencies toward self-centeredness aside, and by caring for others, no matter what our position in life, we can find peace.  Look for the good in people.  You may not always find it, but you might just help bring it out of them.  Don't be naive, but be real. Be honest, faithful, loving, forgiving, compassionate - even just be kind - and you will open doors to experiencing fullness of life that you did not know were there.  And do this as a child of God, bought with the price of God's Son's life given for you.  Do it in response to God's love and acceptance of you.  Your life will become a catalyst for good and positive and joyful change for all around you.  Whistle blowers and scandal-mongers will be put out of business, or at least, have to take a long holiday.

In other difficult times, the Apostle Paul wrote,

4Rjoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  5Let your gentleness be known to everyone.  6The Lord is near.  Do not worry about anything, but in 
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  8Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  9Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9 (NRSV)
 

Blessings in Christ for the New Year,
 

Pastor Larry