My wife says that I am a Pessimist. What she said to me was, "Jim, you can be rather pessimistic sometimes." See what I mean, she did call me a Pessimist. OK, that isn't what she called me but that is what I heard.
Had she called me a Pessimist, she probably would've been right, I guess, but she didn't call me that, just that I can me pessimistic at times. She says I watch too much news on TV. If I am a TV addict at all it is in watching too much news and it does make be a little, ah, negative about life, at times. But how can you not feel that way when that seems to be all you hear and read about concerning the state of affairs we find ourselves in in the good ol' US of A?
Here's what I think, and understand that it is only my opinion based on the news I have read and heard and watched over the last several weeks, months, even the last few years. Take it or leave it, add your own two cents to mine and we still couldn't afford a piece of gum but here it is:
I don't believe that we will ever see gas go down below $3 again, and probably never below $3.50, except for a "false" blip in the ever increasing cost of oil. If we were to drill tomorrow in the Rocky Mountains, where they say there is three times the amount of oil that is in Saudi Arabia, and drilled off shore and in Alaska, I don't believe that gas would decrease much and wouldn't stay there for long. We Americans have proven that, despite the ever increasing cost, we still will spend our money on gas and drive like bats out of hell. And most of us would never consider mass transit, especially since so many of our cities aren't equipped for such. Unfortunately, as the price of oil continues to climb (from $11 eight years ago to $141 as of today), everything else increases in price (my favorite sub place increased their subs about 50 cents about two weeks ago, oh my), which continues to have a ripple affect on everything else.
I watched about five minutes of news this morning and there they were, people lined up out side banks in California to take out their money for fear of the collapse of their bank. Now, if my bank closed I'd lose about $10 but I wondered: is their fear warranted or is it simply a response to rumors? The "expert" they were interviewing said it was from fear based on rumor and that their money was guaranteed up to $100,000 so there was really nothing to worry about. And yet, I heard that there could be close to 100 bank closings within the year because of poor financial management. All that to say this: I don't think we Americans will learn from this financial and credit mismanagement because we went through something similar in the 80's and, guess what? We're here again.
Speaking of Obama and McCain, I believe our government, if not broken, is at least no longer functioning in reality. That happens when you spend so much of your time in a cave like Washington, DC that causes you to lose perspective and become selfish, possesive and materialistic. Of course, there is a good chance that Congress will become even more controlled by Democrats, who, by the way, haven't done much to change the status of Congress any more than the Republicans did when they were in control. I've come to believe in term limits for those who serve in Congress - let's say it should be 12 years then they have to sit out for 4 years. Make them go back into the real world and live with their constituents - preferably having to eat at the local fast food restaurant at least several times of week so they can rub elbows with the "real" people, whoever we really are.
I could go on but I find my blood pressure is rising and my lip is starting to bleed, so I should stop. But all this causes me to wonder, is it possible to be a Christian, a true Christ follower, and be pessimistic?
I recall that there were several discourses that Christ had where His outlook about life was a lot less than rosey, about the present and about the future. In fact, His discription about the future was rather bleak. One might say it was almost pessimistic. Read Matthew 24 to see what I mean.
But in the midst of my pessimism I still have a Hope. Although I am pessimistic about what will unfold, what is unfolding, in what I believe are the last days, I am not pessimistic about the outcome. I know that my God is real and active and is working in the world. Though most of what is going on is caused by us - our selfishness, our abuse of the world's resources, our materialistic culture, etc. - I know that God is using it all to work out His will, which is to draw all people to Him, although some will choose to draw futher away from Him. But God does not give up on us.
I am filled with hope about Christ's Church, His Body of followers. Though we have much to apologize for, and though we have driven some people away by our "holier than thou" attitudes and confrontational approach, God still chooses to use us in the world, and His Church will prevail, even in the midst of persucution and an ever growing hostile world - hostile in part because we have presented not a Gospel of Love but, at times, just the opposite.
Yes, I am pessimistic. But I am a pessimist filled with a Holy Hope. If that's possible.
Had she called me a Pessimist, she probably would've been right, I guess, but she didn't call me that, just that I can me pessimistic at times. She says I watch too much news on TV. If I am a TV addict at all it is in watching too much news and it does make be a little, ah, negative about life, at times. But how can you not feel that way when that seems to be all you hear and read about concerning the state of affairs we find ourselves in in the good ol' US of A?
Here's what I think, and understand that it is only my opinion based on the news I have read and heard and watched over the last several weeks, months, even the last few years. Take it or leave it, add your own two cents to mine and we still couldn't afford a piece of gum but here it is:
I don't believe that we will ever see gas go down below $3 again, and probably never below $3.50, except for a "false" blip in the ever increasing cost of oil. If we were to drill tomorrow in the Rocky Mountains, where they say there is three times the amount of oil that is in Saudi Arabia, and drilled off shore and in Alaska, I don't believe that gas would decrease much and wouldn't stay there for long. We Americans have proven that, despite the ever increasing cost, we still will spend our money on gas and drive like bats out of hell. And most of us would never consider mass transit, especially since so many of our cities aren't equipped for such. Unfortunately, as the price of oil continues to climb (from $11 eight years ago to $141 as of today), everything else increases in price (my favorite sub place increased their subs about 50 cents about two weeks ago, oh my), which continues to have a ripple affect on everything else.
I watched about five minutes of news this morning and there they were, people lined up out side banks in California to take out their money for fear of the collapse of their bank. Now, if my bank closed I'd lose about $10 but I wondered: is their fear warranted or is it simply a response to rumors? The "expert" they were interviewing said it was from fear based on rumor and that their money was guaranteed up to $100,000 so there was really nothing to worry about. And yet, I heard that there could be close to 100 bank closings within the year because of poor financial management. All that to say this: I don't think we Americans will learn from this financial and credit mismanagement because we went through something similar in the 80's and, guess what? We're here again.
Again, the affect of the financial crises is having its ripple affect on other areas. Combine that with the oil crises and what you have is a financial catastrophe waiting to fall out of the closet. Already you have GM laying off people and discontinuing people's retirement benefits. There have been airlines and banks already laying off hundreds, even thousands, of people, from fear that they may become insolvant and exposed to buyouts or takeovers. I have someone in my church who works in a bank in Charlotte, a bank that has been in the news a lot lately, whose stock is so low that the company fears a takeover. He's working on his resume.
Another area that I have grown pessimistic about is the war on terror. No matter who gets elected, I don't believe that we will see much improvement. If Obama is elected and he withdrawls the troops, Iran will be overtaken by terrorists and civil war. We are seeing similar happenings in Afganastan. If McCain is elected, the idea that we will somehow be able to end terrorism and its growth is a fairy tale.
Speaking of Obama and McCain, I believe our government, if not broken, is at least no longer functioning in reality. That happens when you spend so much of your time in a cave like Washington, DC that causes you to lose perspective and become selfish, possesive and materialistic. Of course, there is a good chance that Congress will become even more controlled by Democrats, who, by the way, haven't done much to change the status of Congress any more than the Republicans did when they were in control. I've come to believe in term limits for those who serve in Congress - let's say it should be 12 years then they have to sit out for 4 years. Make them go back into the real world and live with their constituents - preferably having to eat at the local fast food restaurant at least several times of week so they can rub elbows with the "real" people, whoever we really are.
I could go on but I find my blood pressure is rising and my lip is starting to bleed, so I should stop. But all this causes me to wonder, is it possible to be a Christian, a true Christ follower, and be pessimistic?
I recall that there were several discourses that Christ had where His outlook about life was a lot less than rosey, about the present and about the future. In fact, His discription about the future was rather bleak. One might say it was almost pessimistic. Read Matthew 24 to see what I mean.
But in the midst of my pessimism I still have a Hope. Although I am pessimistic about what will unfold, what is unfolding, in what I believe are the last days, I am not pessimistic about the outcome. I know that my God is real and active and is working in the world. Though most of what is going on is caused by us - our selfishness, our abuse of the world's resources, our materialistic culture, etc. - I know that God is using it all to work out His will, which is to draw all people to Him, although some will choose to draw futher away from Him. But God does not give up on us.
I am filled with hope about Christ's Church, His Body of followers. Though we have much to apologize for, and though we have driven some people away by our "holier than thou" attitudes and confrontational approach, God still chooses to use us in the world, and His Church will prevail, even in the midst of persucution and an ever growing hostile world - hostile in part because we have presented not a Gospel of Love but, at times, just the opposite.
Yes, I am pessimistic. But I am a pessimist filled with a Holy Hope. If that's possible.
5 comments:
Hey Jim,
As the resident optimist, I'd like to put a positive spin on some of the negative things going on out there.
First, I agree that gasoline will probably never go below $3.50 a gallon. But in the UK, they're paying 119 pence per litre of petrol (as they call it). [Source: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuel/] That's about $2.39 per litre. Since there are 3.79 liters per US Gallon, that's the equivalent of paying $9.06 per gallon!
I think the high gas prices are making a difference. It was reported in the Charlotte Observer that CATS, the area's transit authority, breaks their ridership record with a 17.4% increase in ridership over the fiscal year that just ended June 30th. People are changing their habits, and I think that's good news. http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/715191.html
I hope that these changes are for the better. I am praying that with expensive gasoline that we'll be drawn back together into our communities. High gasoline prices will factor into people's decisions to such an extent that they stay nearer to home to go to a restaurant and connect more with their neighbors. Gosh, people may even WALK again!
Maybe I'm just too much of an optimist. I watch the news a lot, too, and I agree that it is usually very negative. I guess it's not news unless it's shocking. The more shocking the news is, the more likely that it will be taken nationwide. But I don't let that kill my optimism.
Peace,
Ray
Ray,
You raised some good sides to my rant. Certainly it would be great that these difficult gas times will cause us to "stay closer to home" and rub elbows more with our neighbors. What an opportunity for the church to do things that will encourage this in their communities.
Jim
Maybe Christ is calling us to find ways of living in ...such a time as this...clearly seeing what surrounds us.
Yet finding opportunities to turning the lemons into lemonaide...all the time knowing the the lemons are running out and they are only there in the first place because of His Grace...
I think the real difficulty is in the time it will take to alter our ways. There was a time when communities sprang up around towns and you could realistically walk to the grocery store and other shops. Now there are so many who live many miles from any such conveniences (such as myself). Maybe over time developers will develop strip malls with little neighborhood coffee shops, small grocers, etc.
I think churches will also have to rethink where they locate. Maybe bigger churches can spawn off "daughter churches" that are located close to subdivisions and other communities -- maybe even talk developers of new communities into planning a church into their new subdivision. Wouldn't that be cool?
-- Ray
At the very least Ray it will mean that people will not be willing to drive as far to church.
This may mean the end of Megachurchs drawing from a whole region. It would be sweet if churchs became community based again, instead of pulling people from up to 1/2 hour away.
If the price of gas continues to rise how could it impact the house church movement...
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