More Reading on the Refugee Crisis

The Italy series is still on hold for now because I have been spending my writing time reading and learning instead. A few more refugee-related links:

Not Afraid - Hannah Anderson
[I want to quote the whole thing on this one--it is SO GOOD.]

I understand that we cannot solve every geo-political crisis. I understand that we may not choose to involve ourselves in a ground war in Syria. I understand moral proximity and the order of loves. I understand that refugees must undergo strict a process to enter this country, whether they are Syrian or not.

But what I cannot understand is how easily we can turn a deaf ear to the wounded man lying on the road to Jerusalem just because of ethnicity. I cannot understand how quickly we’ll cross to the other side. I cannot understand how, like the young lawyer, we can justify our lack of compassion by asking “Who is my neighbor?”

Your neighbor is anyone who God brings into your life–Muslim, Christian, Syrian, French, or Iraqi. When someone is lying bruised and beaten beside the road and you’re taking that same road, he is your neighbor. Run to him. When someone knocks on your door legitimately seeking sanctuary, open it. And if we don’t, don’t be surprised if that same God doesn’t come down in judgment because we’ve failed to reflect his own hospitality. We may fear the possibility of a terrorist slipping through the cracks, but Jesus reminds us that we’d do better to fear Him who can throw both body and soul into hell.
 
Being pro-life is not about holding onto our rights, protecting ourselves, or insisting that a choice is legitimate simply because it is legal.  This is the rhetoric of the pro-choice movement: Protect yourself first. Don’t risk your sense of security to provide a safe place for another human being.
Instead, being pro-life means having the faith to believe that the God who calls us to do difficult things is big enough to care for us in the midst of them. Being pro-life means being people of courage and self-sacrifice. Being pro-life means being people of hospitality.

Six Reasons to Welcome Refugees After Paris: America Must Demonstrate Moral Courage (Foundation for Economic Education)

After the attacks on Paris, many politicians — including (so far) the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, and Texas — have called for stopping refugee flows to the United States from the Middle East, claiming that the refugee process poses a major threat to America’s security. Here are six reasons why ending US refugee resettlement is a mistaken and reactionary approach.

Something Christian Millennials Don't "Get" (Life in Progress Ministries)
[The headline is terrible--clickbait-y and misleading, irrelevant to the content--but the content itself is provocative.]

I find myself today witnessing some Christians who seem to want to be as not like Jim Elliot as possible. I do not understand this. ...For years and years and years it has been nearly impossible to get missionaries (even sneakily) into parts of the Middle East. It’s so dangerous, some, assuming they can even get in, are likely to be killed so quickly they can’t do much evangelizing. And now, hundreds of thousands of beaten, hurting, orphaned, widowed (google “pure and undefiled religion") and broken people are trying to come to US. Is it possible that a small percentage of them want to kill us? — Let me counter that question with another question: Does it matter?

...Open up a Bible and make a convincing argument that Jesus wants us all to be safe more than he wants us to reach the lost and help the hurting.

Responding to the Mounting Refugee Crisis
Responding to the Mounting Refugee Crisis (BONUS FEATURES) from FAI on Vimeo.


The Refugee Crisis and Christian Hope - Reformation21
[This one is heavy and hard to get through, but pointedly explores some of the challenges that come through accepting refugees. The author strongly warns against sentimentality and distinguishes
 between what the state can and ought to do and what Christians can and ought to do.]

We should be under no illusion: in the name of blinkered compassion we are at incredible risk of creating an angry and powerful underclass that is resolutely hostile to Europe and its values, and a popular swing to the far-right in reaction against it. Many of these refugees seem to recognize Europe's guilt-driven 'charity' for the cultural emasculation that it is and, rather than showing gratitude for their welcome into other people's places, manifest an attitude of angry entitlement to and hostility towards Europe's places, people, customs, and societies. While this is by no means universal, it is widespread enough to justify genuine concern.

...Few moral issues facing us in our day require such careful navigation between treacherous hidden shoals of false virtues and well-intentioned folly as that of the mass movement of refugees. Fulfilling our calling to be both wise as serpents and harmless as doves is an immense, yet never more pressing, challenge.

Thinking and Praying About the Syrian Refugee Crisis

I was going to put a post up today about how crossing the street in Italy caused me to fear for my life.

That feels so inappropriate in light of all I've read today about the Syrian refugees who have far more dramatic and significant cause to be terrified for their lives, however startling Italian traffic may have been.

Instead, for tonight, I think I want to share a few of the links I've read today. I understand this is an incredibly complex issue that cannot be easily solved, certainly not in a 140-character tweet (though this man admirably tried, and I have to say I snort-laughed over his attempt...it was either that or cry):

if only we had a seasonally appropriate story about middle eastern people seeking refuge being turned away by the heartless

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 16, 2015

In all seriousness, though--I do realize that there's far more nuance than can be communicated in a Facebook status or a 500-word article. What a Christian/church should do is not necessarily the same as what a government should do. I don't know all the answers. But what I do know is that some of what I have been reading has the aroma of Christ...and some of it just does not. At all. I grieve over the posts I have seen with a whole lot of “we’ve gotta look out for number one” and “they/them/those people,” but very little Scripture or empathy or compassion…a whole lot of fear and worry and self-protection, but very little love or courage. 

It’s not a simple argument. Still, I think at minimum, any Christian who is vehemently shouting “CLOSE THE BORDERS!” needs to take a long, hard look at Matthew 25 and the dozens of other Scriptures like it that call us to welcome the stranger, to love, to lay our lives down, to not be afraid. I'm really not sure what we do with those verses, however uncomfortable they may make us...


Should We Really Close the Border to Refugees? Here's Why Fear Drives Out Compassion - Trevin Wax

Fear leads to hatred; courage leads to convictional compassion. And convictional compassion means differentiating between the radical Islamists who would destroy us and peaceful Muslim neighbors who stand with us in deploring such violence.

We are in a war. An unconventional war, of course, but a war nonetheless. Wars always bring out the best and worst in humanity. When future generations look back in time, let us hope they will see that we met these challenges with courage, not fear. In doing so, we obey the most frequent command in the Bible, “Do not be afraid.”

Questions Regarding Waves of Terror and Walking on Water - Shawn Smucker

Protecting ourselves, protecting our best interests, that’s the logical thing to do. Even if it means turning away people with legitimate needs. But it’s not the Christian thing to do.

...It’s actually rather upside-down, rather silly. But that’s the Kingdom of God for you, because the Kingdom of God doesn’t make sense. In the Kingdom of God, we do good for those who hate us. In the Kingdom of God, the smallest of things can move mountains. In the Kingdom of God, we are told to return violence with non-violence. The first will be last, the last first. The meek will inherit the earth. It’s a Kingdom that belongs to the poor in spirit. It’s a Kingdom that doesn’t make any sense.

What does make sense? Well, it would make perfect sense to stop welcoming refugees – after all, they might be ISIS! It would make perfect sense to stop taking in the needy, the orphans, the widows – after all, they might simply become freeloaders! It would make perfect sense to turn our back on those we consider enemy, those we consider other, those we don’t understand. ...It would make perfect sense to turn inward. But it doesn’t make Kingdom sense.

Jen Hatmaker on Facebook:

Let me tell you something, Jesus: LOW BLOW. I do NOT want to see your face in the faces of these complicated, hurting, needy people. When I see a prisoner, I want to see "criminal." When I see the homeless, I want to see "addict." When I see a refugee, I want to see "threat" or at least "financial drain." What I do not want to see is your sweet face.

Why couldn't you identify with more stable people? We like you in the faces of our children and best friends, for example. We like you in our government and in our Family Friendly Movies. We like you in our pretty churches and gated neighborhoods. We do not want to see you in the faces of the poor. That sucks. Now you are really messing with us. You do realize what this sort of holy identification will cost and require, right?

Suspicious of Syrian Refugees Coming to the U.S.? Here's a Reality Check - Janell Ross

Refugees are subject to more scrutiny and background checks that any other group admitted to the United States.  ...simple changes to the order of certain steps in process would leave a robust clearance program in place but eliminate unnecessary redundancies, red tape and difficulties.

What we do know is that extended waits can contribute to the number of people desperate enough to undertake a highly dangerous journey and enter a third country illegally. People in refugee camps cannot legally work. In some camps child mortality rates are alarmingly high and people live in tents. Many others are housed in buildings without heat or running water.

...While...7 in 10 refugees making their way across the Mediterranean are adult men, the overall refugee picture is much more balanced. (The adult-male skew above makes more sense when you consider the danger involved in the journey.) Among the 4.05 million Syrians who have fled their country and then registered with UNHCR (the United Nation's refugee agency), there are actually slightly more women than men. 

No, Thousands of Syrian Refugees Are Not Arriving in New Orleans - Aaron Earls

...do you care about the truth and do you want to undermine your credibility and reputation so conspiracy theorist bloggers can make more money on pop-up ad revenue? ...You cannot lament the dishonesty of mainstream media outlets while promoting and sharing stories from conservative blogs that do nothing but exaggerate, mislead and blatantly lie to push their agenda.

The Islamic State Wants You to Hate Refugees - Adam Taylor

What seems almost certain is that the Islamic State wants you to equate refugees with terrorists. In turn, it wants refugees to equate the West with prejudice against Muslims and foreigners.

Immigration Policy Must Be Based On More Than an Appeal to Compassion - Kevin DeYoung
[much helpful balance and nuance here, which I am able to hear and consider when it is prefaced with "I too am turned off by the harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric that sounds more like Pharaoh in Exodus 1 than the “love the sojourner” commands in Deuteronomy 10. It is a commendable response to see hurting people and think, 'Let’s do all we can to help.'" YES. Thank you.]

...The issue of immigration—both for those inside the country already and for those wanting to get in—is bound to be a pressing political, international, and humanitarian concern for many years. We need Christian writers, thinkers, pastors, scholars, and activists to be a part of the conversation. My plea is that the conversation reflect the complexity of the situation and goes beyond the familiar dichotomies of love versus hate, inclusion versus exclusion, and fear versus compassion. There are too many important things, and too many human lives, at stake to move quite so quickly from solid Christian principles to simple policy prescriptions.

Listening to #Ferguson

I had yesterday's post set to go before the Ferguson grand jury announcement...I wish I hadn't. Today it feels wrong to talk about anything else. Today I need to keep silent and listen. Below is a sampling of what I've been listening to.

This link-dump may overwhelm you. We *should* feel overwhelmed by injustice; we should mourn with those who mourn. We *make* time for things that matter to us. Please, will you take some time to listen? Will you open your heart to care? Will you dare to hear perspectives on this besides Fox News or Matt Walsh? Any one of these links would be worth your while to consider. Maybe you could skim through the quotes below and choose even a couple of articles to ponder. Maybe you could realize your privilege means you get to choose whether to care about Ferguson and racism and police killings. 

A Decision in Ferguson: How Should Evangelicals Respond?

"White evangelicals must listen because there is a context to this tragedy, we must listen to feel the pain behind the problem and finally we listen so that we might acknowledge that injustice really exists.

"...Rioting is wrong and stupid—but so is using rioters as an excuse to ignore the hurts of so many. For many, this is about an incident. Yet, for many African Americans, it's about a system. It's worth listening to why people are responding differently to the situation in Ferguson."

The Ferguson Grand Jury Has Given Us Our Marching Orders
"We saw an American prosecutor fail the principle of 'blind justice' by handling court procedure in a way most legal experts found a dereliction of duty. Over and over again we heard that the grand jury bar for an indictment is so low all it takes is a ham sandwich. Prosecutors who want to prosecute don’t 'present all the evidence;' apparently, they present only that evidence that gets them the indictment and commences the trial. If that’s true, and I have to trust the majority opinion of legal experts since I’m not one, then Ferguson’s prosecutor failed to even live up to the low-bar ideals of his profession, much less America.

"...a grand jury indictment depends largely on the recommendation of the prosecutor. If he/she wants an indictment, they tend to get one. They present the parts of the evidence that lead to the conclusion. In this case, a prosecutor with a history of close affiliation with police officers and no record for ever bringing an indictment, 'rigged the system,' according to one analyst, to get the result he wanted. He took the unprecedented steps of giving the grand jury 'all the evidence' and allowing the accused to testify to the grand jury for hours instead of leading a prosecutorial effort with integrity.

"Here’s how I wish the President had ended his comments and what I pray the remaining movement in Ferguson, New York, LA and other  parts of the country would commit itself to.

• Forming a National Commission for Reviewing the Use of Deadly Force by Police Authorities
• Federal Requirement and Funding of Police Body Cameras
• Creation of a Mechanism for Appointing Prosecutors
• The Demilitarization of Local Police Departments"

Most White People in America are Completely Oblivious
"I think this, more than anything, is the source of our trouble when it comes to racial division in this country. The inability of white people to hear black reality—to not even know that there is one and that it differs from our own—makes it nearly impossible to move forward. But how can we expect black folks to trust law enforcement or to view it in the same heroic and selfless terms that so many of us apparently do? The law has been a weapon used against black bodies, not a shield intended to defend them, and for a very long time."


Race and Policing in America
"Generally, people of color have an understanding of white perspectives because they live in and among the dominant culture. But most whites have no significant relationships with people of color. An August study by Robert Jones of Public Religion Research Institute notes that 75 percent of whites in the United States have no friends who are people of color. Three-quarters of whites never discussed racialized policing with those most directly affected by it. Ignorance is breeding more ignorance.

"...the New York City Police Department made more than 5 million stop-and-frisk stops from 2002 to mid-2013. African-Americans and Latinos accounted for more than 80 percent of them. In 88 percent of the stops, no arrests were made nor was there evidence of a crime."


Mike Brown’s shooting and Jim Crow lynchings have too much in common. It’s time for America to own up
"...the rate of police killings of black Americans is nearly the same as the rate of lynchings in the early decades of the 20th century. About twice a week, or every three or four days, an African American has been killed by a white police officer in the seven years ending in 2012...That number is incomplete and likely an undercount... Even though white Americans outnumber black Americans fivefold, black people are three times more likely than white people to be killed when they encounter the police in the US, and black teenagers are far likelier to be killed by police than white teenagers."


#Ferguson: A Gospel Issue
"What I’ve seen is that in my privileged white world, the ‘Gospel’ is domesticated.  Ferguson is not on our radar.  I’d dare say for many white evangelicals, today is just another day.  The real scandal would be if some prominent evangelical wrote a pro-LGBTQ book, for instance.  The Gospel is tamed, reduced, narrowed.  It becomes a balm for guilt-ridden souls who crave 140-character tweets reminding us that we’re accepted, but it hardly seems applicable to what is happening in Ferguson. And, after all, isn’t what is happening there really just about some angry black folks who’ve, once again, made a much bigger deal out of something that clearly was the result of a young black man’s aggression against a police officer?

"We don’t get it, friends.  And we can’t, and won’t, until we walk a hundred miles in the shoes of someone very different than us or until our friendships reflect the diversity of society.  Statistics show, in fact, that we have the least diverse social network – 91% white, and only one-percent black.  We naively think that changes in voting rights some forty years ago solved the problem of race.  And as Christians, we become incensed at a Facebook dialogue about abortion or homosexuality, but hardly understand the fury of young black men and women in the streets last night who feel so powerless that throwing stones and burning things provide some outlet, albeit a tragic one, for a voice.

"...Far more hinges on how we meet one another from here on out than on an indictment in Ferguson, MO.  Until my white (mostly evangelical) brothers and sisters are as impassioned by this as they are the next Rob Bell book, I don’t see much changing.  And when I say that, I’m not saying that you need to get behind an indictment but get behind your black brothers and sisters, to get into their worlds, their realities, their sufferings.  I’m saying we need to ask questions, to listen, to exercise holy curiosity.  I’m saying that we might have blindspots, might not see so clearly."


A Prayer for Ferguson
"Forgive us for not weeping with those who weep. Forgive us for judging others with a measure we do not use to judge ourselves. Forgive us for speaking when we should be silent and being silent when we should speak. Forgive us for being hard-hearted and dim-witted. Forgive us for loving our comfort more than our neighbor. Forgive us for being too often indifferent to injustice in our world and unrighteousness in our lives."

This All Happened Before

"We all love to think we would have marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We all get misty eyed at the 'I Have a Dream' speech. If you get all inspired by Rosa Parks, Dr. King and Diane Nash, but are repulsed by what’s happening in Ferguson and cities all around the U.S. (LA, NYC, Chicago, Seattle and more are already marching tonight), realize you would have had the same feelings in the 60s. It’s easy to look back and see the pictures of the CRM & think it was a bunch of one day marches and then we passed some laws, everyone was equal!

But it looked like TONIGHT. It felt like tonight. It was scary and exhausting and long. It started over a kid who was “no angel”. It was at least 14 years long."

Violence of Whiteness
"How do we even summarize the damage the criminal justice system has done to black communities over the course of American history? It is white supremacy that has found ever creative ways to shut out and shut down black folks from being considered fully American, fully human. It is white supremacy that has been historically violent.

"It was not blacks who enslaved millions of people for financial gain. It was not blacks who lynched thousands of people for entertainment. It was not blacks who regularly invaded the neighborhoods of other communities to wreak havoc. It was not blacks who created laws to disenfranchise others. These are the violent inventions of white supremacy.

"And this is why we sit in anticipation of every decision that involves unarmed, dead, black bodies. This is why we sit on the edges of our seats and wonder whether or not America will acknowledge our humanity this time. This is why we anxiously watch Ferguson."


And some Tweets:

Neil Postman eat your heart out #nowthis RT @aadragna: What's wrong with this country, in one tweet: pic.twitter.com/CuH6XH0IaT
— Jon Ward (@jonward11) November 25, 2014

If your child were killed, under what circumstances would you accept there being no trial for their killer? Not just no conviction—no trial?
— Anil Dash (@anildash) November 25, 2014

Christian, if your first response is triumph & not sadness, dismissal & not empathy, then you're not in sync w/ the mind of Christ #Ferguson
— Jim Essian (@JimEssian) November 25, 2014

Grand juries not resulting in indictments: Police Officers: 80 of 81 Civilians: 11 of 162,000 #Ferguson http://t.co/rmHtPlNlun
— Charles Clymer (@cmclymer) November 25, 2014

Today is not a day for the privileged to ignite a debate, but to seek understanding and reconciliation.
— Efrem Smith (@efremsmith) November 25, 2014

SOMEONE CALL IN THE NATIONAL GUARD TO PROTECT OUR- oh, that was after the World Series in San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/21PgkOrFbJ
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) November 25, 2014

MOBILIZE THE MILITARY WE NEED- oh, that was in Seattle after the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/snTGzqlDKv
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) November 25, 2014

End of the night thoughts. pic.twitter.com/eDf3PMHRgf
— Lecrae (@lecrae) November 25, 2014

Dear TV media, "Protestors" protest. "Looters" steal. "Arsonists" set things on fire. Please use the appropriate label to match your video.
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) November 25, 2014

In case you still don't know why there's so much outrage in #ferguson... (via @creativerobd) #handsup #DONTSHOOT pic.twitter.com/lNXtBsSwCT
— Crystal S. Lewis (@CrystalLewis) November 24, 2014

My piece on Ferguson: "White Christians: It's Time to Stand in Solidarity With Your Black Brothers and Sisters" http://t.co/4oWBLdkk9v
— Christena Cleveland (@CSCleve) November 25, 2014

"What do we do about it?" (White)People cry? Wake up to the deep issues. Struggle to understand them. Work to be part of the solution.
— Micky Jones (@iammickyjones) November 25, 2014

#BlackLivesMatter not because I say so. Not because of my arguments but because we are an important piece of the Imago Dei.
— Austin Channing (@austinchanning) November 25, 2014

My Two Cents on the Duck Nonsense

I’ve tried to ignore this whole Duck Dynasty kerfuffle. I really have. But my Facebook friends keep blowing up my news feed with links and comments and articles about it, and I can’t keep my mouth shut any longer.

Three things:

1. I find it highly ironic that the Christians who are so agitated about A&E’s suspension of Phil Robertson are, in all likelihood, the same Christians who have been appalled at the recent court cases involving Christians who are fighting for their rights not to do certain types of business with gay or lesbian couples. The photographer in New Mexico, the florist in Washington, the baker in Colorado—all have argued that they should not be compelled to provide services for a same-sex wedding. They believe they should have the freedom not to work with people whose beliefs and lifestyle are in conflict with theirs.

Um. Does A&E not have the right to the same freedom? This is not a First Amendment issue. Phil Robertson is not going to jail or being killed for saying what he believes. This is a private company saying, “Hey, we don’t want our name and brand associated with your beliefs.” Which is pretty much the same exact thing the photographer and the florist and the baker are saying. We can’t have it both ways, folks.

2. Regardless of where you stand on the issue of homosexuality, please do not claim that Phil Robertson “simply said what Scripture says” or “was only stating biblical values.” As a Christian, I found his remarks offensive. He displayed a lack of compassion for gay, lesbian and bisexual people, a disturbingly demeaning view of women and marriage, and a staggering ignorance about race. That last one was what startled me most when I read Robertson's quotes, and Kristen at Rage Against the Minivan summed it up well:

 I don’t even know where to start with this one. Comparing black people to white trash is cringey, but suggesting that black people were happier during segregation? That because Phil never heard a black person publicly complain BACK IN THE ERA OF LYNCHING means that they must have been satisfied with the state of things? This is so racially tone-deaf that it reminds me of the time Paula Deen romanticized the slaves as being “like family”. Not to mention, the subtext of his remarks is that black people nowadays are entitled, unGodly, discontented welfare recipients. So when I see people as “standing with Phil” based on their Christian values, I really have to ask . . . how does an apologist for our country’s ugly Jim Crow legacy represent Christian values? 

3. Really, church? This is what we’re going to get ourselves all worked up about? How about we save our energy and outrage for things that are truly, unarguably outrageous. Like, I don't know, human trafficking. Also, can we just stop crying “persecution” all the time? THIS is persecution. A millionaire being suspended from a cable TV show for making crass and ignorant statements not even about the gospel (please, for the love of all that is good and holy, PLEASE do not confuse “the gospel” with “morality”), is not persecution.

I know a lot of ink has been spilled over this already, but I couldn't scroll through the slew of "I support Phil Robertson, the righteous martyr" posts on my Facebook feed any longer without throwing in my two cents. Thanks for indulging me.


Further worthwhile reading:
The Duck Thing: Is There Another Way?
Duck Dynasty, First Amendment Rights, and Christian Values
This is Not Worth Quacking About
Dear Kids: Never Forget the Power of Words

The Problem is Us

Over the last several months I've gotten hooked on Chicago Public Radio's This American Life. I first remember hearing about it years ago from my dear friend Pam, who was in love with Ira Glass and the show, but for whatever reason, I wasn't interested at the time. Now, I'm a podcast subscriber who looks forward to every Monday morning when I download the newest episode.

You may remember that a few months ago, I linked to an episode of TAL called "The Giant Pool of Money," in which a couple of reporters broke down the mortgage crisis in easy-to-understand terms. It was brilliant. Well, they've done it again with "Bad Bank," which aired about a month ago and made the current banking crisis comprehensible to ordinary people. I was reminded of the episode the other day when Rod Dreher linked to and excerpted from the transcript. This part is incredibly eye-opening:

Alex Blumberg: ...When a bank is insolvent, it doesn't have enough capital to cover its losses. In that situation, banks would actually be doing the RIGHT thing by keeping the bailout money that we're giving them. It needs to hold onto their capital, that's how they fix their balance sheets. If they loaned the money away, they'd be returning to the situation we're trying to rescue them from. In other words, saving the banking system, means that the banks that are worst off, should loan less, not more. But beyond the balance sheet, David Beim has a much more profound reason why banks shouldn't lend. He shows me something on his computer.

David Beim: Ok, so here is a picture, a graphic, and a chart that goes back to 1916 and up to...

Alex Blumberg: We're in his office, and we're looking at a graph, and it's, basically, a measure of how much debt we the citizens of America, are in. How much we all owe--on our mortgages and credit cards and auto loans--compared to the economy as a whole, the GDP. And for most of history, the amount we owed was a lot smaller than the economy as a whole. This ratio, household debt to GDP bounces along around between 30 and 50 percent, for most of the '30s and '40s 50s, 60s, and 70s, right into the 80s. Then it breaks through 50 % in the 80s, starts heading up in the 1990s. And then ...

David Beim: From 2000 to 2008, it just goes, almost a hockey stick, it goes dramatically upward.

Alex Blumberg: Like a rocket.

David Beim: It hits 100% of GDP. That is to say, currently, consumers own 13 trillion dollars when the GDP is $13 trillion. That's a $100 trillion owed by individuals. That is a ton.

Alex Blumberg: I'm going to ask a leading question, because I'm looking at a graph right here. Tell me professor, has there ever been a time where we owed that much before?

David Beim: I'm glad you asked me that. And guess what? The earlier peak, which is way over on the left part of the chart, where debt is 100% of GDP, was in 1929. This is a map of twin peaks. One in 1929 and one in 2007.

Alex Blumberg: Does that chart scare you?

David Beim: Yes. That chart is the most striking piece of evidence that I have that what is happening to us is something that goes way beyond toxic assets in banks, it's something that had little to do with mortgage securitization, or ethics on Wall Street, or anything else. It says the problem is us. The problem is not the banks, greedy though they may be, overpaid though they may be. The problem is us. We have over-borrowed. We have been living very high on the hog. We are, our standard of living has been rising dramatically over the last 25 years, and we have been borrowing to make much of that prosperity happen.

Alex Blumberg: And so, when you see Congress, sort of saying we need more, we need to make sure there are strings attached to this money, to make sure the banks are lending it out, that doesn't make any sense.

David Beim: It makes, not only no sense, it makes reverse sense. It's nonsense. Because what the banks have done is already lend too much. The name of this problem is too much debt. We have over-borrowed, and we have done that over many, many decades. And now it's reached just an unbearable peak where people on average cannot repay the debts they've got.

Interestingly, Planet Money (an NPR podcast I occasionally listen to--also great for translating the economic news into plain English for me to understand) said the same thing in a recent podcast. We all want someone to blame for this mess we've in--it's human nature to try and pass the buck--but the painful truth is, to find someone to point a finger at, we need look no further than the bathroom mirror.

Understanding the Financial Crisis

Yesterday I finished listening to what has been called "the best piece of financial journalism ever." Since it was so helpful to me, I thought I'd pass along the recommendation.

In my insatiable appetite for reading article after article, trying to understand the basics of economics (WAY over my head) and the current financial crisis, I ran across an article called "Five Easy Pieces." In it, Conor Friedersdorf makes the bold claim, "Why is our financial system on the brink of collapse? Believe it or not, I can tell you the whole story in a single page -- as long as I'm allowed help from the easiest to understand stuff on the Internet. Visit these 5 links and you'll once again understand the world."

The first link is to an episode of This American Life which was broadcast back in May, called "The Giant Pool of Money." You can listen to it for free on the website, but it was worth it to me to pay $1.05 to download it and be able to listen on my iPod during a walk. The episode was a special collaboration with NPR News, and it seeks to answer the questions:

What does the housing crisis have to do with the turmoil on Wall Street? Why did banks make half-million dollar loans to people without jobs or income? And why is everyone talking so much about the 1930s? It all comes back to the Giant Pool of Money.

The story was incredibly enlightening--and incredibly maddening. The reporters did a great job of clarifying jargon like "CDO" and "tranches of mortgage-backed securities." It was also helpful to hear from real people all along the chain, from the guy facing foreclosure on his house to the middle-man mortgage broker to the Wall Street investment broker. But I must have actually slapped my forehead in disgusted amazement at least four times as I listened. Just maddening, how people could be so stupid and so greedy. It was a struggle to keep reminding myself of my earlier post on the subject.

Anyway, if you're struggling to understand what in the world is going on, I highly recommend listening to "The Giant Pool of Money."

Economy, Fear, Anger and Jesus

I don't really understand the world of finance. So I don't have a clear or solid grasp of what exactly is going on with this whole economic meltdown we're currently experiencing (and that drives me crazy). Over the last few weeks (months, really), I've been reading lots of news articles and blog posts, trying to make sense of it all.

The more I learn, the more I find two emotions rising up in me. The first is fear: What if we ARE headed into another Great Depression, the likes of which none of us has ever seen? What if this IS the decline of the United States as we know it? Should we be stockpiling? What? How much? Is all the money we've saved, both short term and for retirement, going to vaporize? What if...?

The other is anger: How dare those greedy Wall Street brokers act so foolishly and irresponsibly! Why should wealthy executives get to line their pockets when the market is good, but not have to pay the price when everything goes south? It's so unfair that the profits are privatized and the risk is socialized! This is outrageous!

As Steve and I discussed the situation recently, he wisely said: "I can understand why people who think this life is all there is would be devastated by what's going on." If your treasure is 100% on earth...if you are living for pleasure and comfort here and now...if the prize you're eyeing is a secure, relaxing retirement...how could you feel anything BUT fear and anger to see your dreams possibly going up in smoke?

But Jesus responds to my fear:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 5:19-21).

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ...And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 5:25, 27, 31-34).

And Jesus responds to my anger: There, but for the grace of God, go I. Do I not struggle with the same greed, the same selfish ambition? Would I not sin just as flagrantly if His hand did not hold me back? Am I really any more righteous than "those ungodly people" on Wall Street? Where would I be today if not for His mercy?

It's good and right to pray for the economy and the wellbeing of our country, but ultimately I must remember that my hope is not in the stock market or in a stable economy. Devastation may be natural and understandable for others--but I must replace the fear and anger with trust in a sovereign God who promises to provide for His children, and humility in acknowledging my own weakness and sin. As I observe current events, I must wait anxiously--not nervous for the unknowns of what's ahead next year or the year after here on earth, but excited for the joyful, certain return of the Lord, who will set all things right and make all things new.