High Priced Oil, a Struggling Economy, and Spirituality Part 2

High prices and struggling are all in the eye of the beholder, and a matter of perception. Depending on where we live, who we talk to, where we get our media from, and how our local community intervenes in times of crises all factor into whether one thinks a headline like "High Priced Oil, a Struggling Economy, and Spirituality" is actually worth anything.

Regrettably, times are getting to the point where those across the economic spectrum are seeing the future crumble before their eyes, whether bankers at the Royal Bank of Scotland, a deeply respected financial periodical warning of a new Great Depression, or the pastor who ministers to truckers, prostitutes, and the destitute (HT: Crunchy Con and NYT).

A dim outlook on the future usually causes a yearning best expressed in the thoughts such as, "I’ll fly away," "The world is not my home," and "This will all pass away." We can all to easily begin to declare the past done with, the present un-redeemable, and the future hopeless, so we create a fourth division of time, the eternal, and place all of our eggs into that basket. The future/eternal dichotomy often expressed in the already/not yet formula of eschatology expressed by George Eldon Ladd breaks down in the hopelessness and "doom and gloom" associated with economic depressions and a loss of material wealth.

Our spirituality, which encompasses our theological views on the future as well as how we practice ("live out") theology in our daily lives, is effected by the economy in direct ways (pastors dismissed because a church has a cash flow problem; family life effected by parents needing second jobs or being unemployed) and indirect ways (disillusionment with the world and a lack of hope).

The morose feeling that has begun to saturate the world, and will soon begin to creep into churches and their congregations, is a symptom of where the world’s hope is found, for the church, where the church’s hope is found, and for the individual, where his or her hope is found.

We cannot help what non-Christians think, because we are not of in the dark, we are in the light. As people of the light, we can help what we think and what our churches think when it comes to finding our hope. Our spirituality, both individual and corporate, cannot be found in the patterns of this world. Paul instructs us to "no longer be conformed to the patterns of this world," but instead to renew our minds. We must begin to train ourselves to find our hope in something other than relentless economic growth and material goods. Too many Christians are coming to Jesus not as disciples but as rich young rulers, not wanting to hope in the redeeming action of Jesus on a person’s past, present, and future life, but instead worrying about how we could ever live without all of our great "stuff."

When the world loses hope it is because this world is in birth pains, groaning, and no one knows when the pains will be over. Hopelessness ensues. Fortunately for Christians we find our hope in living a Christ-centered life, as the old hymn goes: "our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness." That’s all we need.

In many ways, becoming a more spiritual person starts by accepting two things that are held in tension:
—this whole world has gone to pot
—this whole world is wonderful, redeemable, and beautiful

Our own bodies are microcosms of the world after Christ’s resurrection. Sometimes we do the things we don’t want to do, but other times we find the richness and light of living a life centered in the hope of the past, present, and future Christ, who is always saving not only our individual lives, but our churches and our world.

Want to read more? Check out High Priced Oil, a Struggling Economy, and Spirituality Part 1.