Sorry I Haven't Written Lately

It's been some time since my last posting, and what a time it's been!



Wall Street has crumbled, Congress worked quite quickly, for Congress, to pass a 'rescue package' for the frozen credit markets, and the political discourse in the presidential election has been evenly split between talking about the economy and talking trash about the other side.



In the midst of this, I've heard a lot about what the markets need to do, what the government needs to do or not do, what banks and CEOs from Wall Street are doing, and what the rest of the world is doing while they're watching us! But the only thing I've heard about what individual people can do focuses on how they can survice this economic meltdown (which is a good thing to know, don't get me wrong). What's missing is what the individual can do to help not just themselves but the whole economy.


For instance, wouldn't it have been good to hear from someone that every gallon of gasoline you don't use helps the economy? That's one fewer gallon of gasoline that's contributing to our nation's unhealthy balance of payments with other nations. That's one small, gallon-sized step toward reducing our dependency on foreign oil. The closest thing I've heard was in one of the candidate's answers to a question about individual sacrifice during the second presidential debate: "We may have to rethink the way we use energy." Not a lot of specifics there, but at least it was a start.



I'm not an economist, but I believe that every person makes a difference. We all participate in the economy every day, sometimes in little ways, sometimes in bigger ways. That means we all have some input into the economic system. And that means that we can help to change the system, can help to make a healthier economic system possible. I also believe that a carbon-based energy system is unsustainable. As each of us begins to live that reality in the choices we make in the market and in the actions we demand of our leaders, things can and will change.



There will be more on this later, but for now . . .



Never the last word,



Pastor Lee