No one knows how this present economic crisis will end, because we do not seem to have been this way before. But in the longer term, we can see from history that empires of one sort or another have come and gone.
It is ironic that while the focus of our attention these last days is on the collapse of the Greek and Italian economies and their changes in governments, in times past, Greek and Roman power and empires shaped the ancient world. How things have changed! How the mighty have fallen!
And then there are the debates about what Christians should or might be doing in the present crisis. The Archbishop's thoughtful article in the Financial Times has produced more grist fro the mill of public debate and discussion.
I have been reflecting on the song that Mary sang after her visit from Gabriel. In her astonishment at being chosen to be the mother of the world's saviour, she observes how God works in the world. ' His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.' (Luke 1.51-53)
These words look suggest to me that we haven't seen anything yet in terms of the world being turned upside down. Most people seem to be trying to fix the present broken situation, whereas these words suggest that the Lord has a much bigger agenda in mind.
Instead of making everything more comfortable for those in power, Mary's song speaks of the hand of the Lord upsetting the 'rich getting richer' status quo. We don't yet see much evidence of the hungry being filled, and the rich being sent away empty - except at a spiritual level.
In these days, we are all being challenged to see what we count as valuable. If it isn't our relationship with the Lord, then we are in for trouble, sooner or later.
Best wishes,
Richard
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