Navigating an Economic Storm

Dave Witt

The clouds of economic crisis have gathered steadily over the past year and have grown darker with each passing month. The storms that broke across the U.S. late last year hit Hamilton in earnest a couple weeks ago with the news that the US Steel/Stelco blast furnace which has run continuously for more than a century will soon grow cold. The resulting job loss will ripple across the city. “Steeltown Shudders” read the Spectators headline the next day.

What is to be the response of the Church in Hamilton? What does it mean to be churches together for the good of the city in these circumstances? We are called to something beyond the currently popular hand wringing and fear-mongering, but what does that look like? This is a discernment question our congregations need to dig into. Through prayer, dialogue, and reflection we can spur one another on to an appropriately sensitive, hopeful, and prophetic response.

Here are some starting points–some initial ideas for how we might respond–

Lament and Hope-bearing: What we all need when we lose something or someone we treasure, is someone to help us to mourn our loss well, to lament it – like Jeremiah and the writers of the psalms, like Jesus himself in fact – someone to help us really let it go so that we can embrace new hope and purpose. Are we willing to resist the usual finger-pointing and advice giving that keep people at arms length, and instead to come alongside and enter into the pain? Are we willing to let others mourn our loss with us? Our culture is not good at lament–we major on blame, anger, and a debilitating victim mentality that perpetuates bondage. To move towards freedom we need the opportunity to mourn. Lament provides this and in the process it gives hope. The very act of being present and entering into pain together restores hope that evil has limits and that God is present and aware.

Recognition of Our Cultural Captivity– What is it we fear losing, or are bitter about having lost already? Have we been complicit with the greed and comfort-seeking impulse of our culture that has directly led to this crisis? Maybe we are feeling guilty because this has touched so many others but not us. Or perhaps we are not feeling anything at all, and are trying to avoid exploring it. It is important for us to recognize how we are processing the uncertainty and fear associated with this crisis, and then open ourselves up before God to hear what He is calling us to. Could it be that, like in the prayers of Nehemiah (Neh 1) and Daniel (Dan 9), we need to openly acknowledge that we have shared in our culture’s captivity to sin, and then stand in the gap for our community in repentance before God?

Prophetic Action–Standing in the Widening Gap: as the economic crisis sweeps through our city the number of those pushed to the margins will increase and most likely the resources to care for those on the margins will decrease. Recently the Ontario government announced, “Because of the worsening economy the province of Ontario will delay their poverty reduction strategy.” It is the poor that suffer first and most in the midst of crisis. Are we as the Church willing to walk with the poor through this time, to do all we can to alleviate the suffering and to suffer together with them in the process? Can we recognize in this crisis the opportunity to live the reality of Jesus all the more fully.

In Psalm 11 David helps us see our way forward by sharing his thoughts as he wrestles with how to navigate a crisis. He writes–
3 When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.

David helps us recognize that the ultimate question is where we find our security, meaning and hope. Even when what seems to be foundational to us is being destroyed the Lord is not absent or fearful. He is present with us and at work bringing about His purposes even when everything seems chaotic. David closes the psalm with the reassurance–”For the LORD is righteous,he loves justice; the upright will see his face.” May this give us courage to face together whatever challenges this storm brings.
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Here are a few articles about apparently increased interest in religion in the midst of the economic crisis:
http://www.thespec.com/News/Business/article/527962
http://www.2news.tv/news/40926882.html
http://www.wkrn.com/global/story.asp?s=10010934