Repent, the End is Near! (The financial collapse)

Articles

new articles
section catalog
keyword catalog
title catalog
author catalog

Apologetics & Social Issues

*************************************************

SojoMail a weekly email-zine of spirituality, politics, and culture http://go.sojo.net/ct/C7LWub11OSjl/

*************************************************

=================================================

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

=================================================

These hundreds are engaged in conspiratorial actions against Palestinians and the security forces. It's a very grave phenomenon. This is harming our ability to carry out security missions in the territories. We have to divert our efforts to there from other issues. The margins [in the settler community]

are expanding, because they are enjoying a tailwind and the backing of part of the leadership, both rabbinical and public, whether in explicit statements or tacitly.

- Major General Gadi Shamni of the Israeli Defense Forces, commenting on violence by Israeli settlers. According to the BBC, he also said that in some cases Israeli soldiers who had intervened to stop settlers from attacking Palestinians had themselves been attacked by settlers, adding, "The majority [of settlers] here act normally. We're talking about a hard core of a few hundred activists." (Source: BBC)

=================================================

Hearts & Minds by Jim Wallis

=================================================

Repent, the End is Near!

We are all familiar with the crazy-looking street preacher in some public square haranguing every passerby with a message of doom and gloom while holding up a sign that reads, "Repent, the end is near!"

Well, as members of Congress went home to their districts on Tuesday in honor of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, it might have been appropriate for their constituents to have welcomed them home with just such a placard.

You see, this Jewish holiday begins a 10-day period during which Jews spend time in self-reflection and repentance, particularly in seeking to mend relations with those they may have wronged during the year. The 10 days culminate on Yom Kippur, when one repents of sins against God. Judaism believes that while God forgives sins against God, each person must repent and seek forgiveness from other people against whom they have sinned.

And I can't think of a better thing for members of Congress -- Jewish or not -- to do than repent, because the end is indeed near. Last week, Cokie Roberts suggested that the financial managers who helped precipitate this economic crisis be paraded down Wall Street in sackcloth and ashes. Now it may be time for their congressional colleagues to join them.

In the midst of a crisis that is both structural and spiritual, it is indeed appropriate for us all to reflect on what repentance means. Biblically, it means a turning around, a change in direction, a reversing of one's course and beginning to walk an entirely new path. After the House of Representatives rejected the most current "rescue plan" for the economy, the stock market immediately lost $1.2 trillion in value, including in people's retirement funds and college savings accounts. Some repentance does seem to be in order -- both because this was such a flawed bill, and because Washington and Wall Street allowed the financial situation to so deteriorate that a flawed bill, such as the one now approved by the Senate, was painfully necessary.

But what might members of Congress repent of?

1. Perhaps the putting of other things, including ideology, re-election, partisan advantage, and public posturing ahead of the national interest and the common good - not just yesterday, but for years.

2. Perhaps the looking after their own interests, including their own financial success and career goals, over the interests of their most ordinary constituents.

3. Perhaps paying more attention to the financial benefits to the country's financial institutions (that, in most cases, also significantly benefit them) than to the benefits coming to the average Americans who vote for them.

4. Perhaps by focusing more on a Wall Street bailout than to the relief of those suffering disastrous housing foreclosures or the loss of jobs; and preferring a top-down rescue rather than a bottom-up one.

5. Perhaps by substituting political calculation for political leadership, crying for credibility, partisan blaming for moral authority, and rejecting imperfect solutions for no solutions at all.

And there may be some things on a more personal level that congressional members may also need to repent of that might clear their heads and hearts for more effective leadership.

As for the rest of us, perhaps we could also reflect on our need for repentance.

1. For being seduced into lifestyles beyond our means and contrary to our religious traditions of simplicity and stewardship.

2. For living on far too much credit, rather than living within our limits.

3. For sometimes putting economic values ahead of family values.

4. For letting the relentless assault of advertising and a culture of consumption to seed in us the sin of covetousness.

5. For valuing our lives too much by the cultural values of worth, instead of by the values of the kingdom of God.

And, for the students at Harvard (where I sometimes teach), the fact that half of you want to go into investment banking as a career is a sign that something has gone wrong with the culture. Repent, and make sure your vocation benefits the common good.

Maybe we should all go to synagogue or church in the next 10 days in order to repent. Because if we don't, the end of a lot of things may indeed be near.

=================================================

THIS WEEK IN GOD'S POLITICS

=================================================

+ See what's new on the blog of Jim Wallis and friends http://go.sojo.net/ct/YpLWub11OSjz/

-------------------------------------------------

Video: Flobots on Faith - The 'Rise' of New Music for New Movements (by Matt Hildreth)Flobots are a Denver-based, hip-hop/rock alternative group, whose powerful activist lyrics explore issues from globalization and poverty to war and peace. Their influences include civil rights activist (and Sojourners contributing editor) Vincent Harding, who has a cameo in their newest music video... http://go.sojo.net/ct/K1LWub11OSj7/

Paul Newman's Lesser-Known Legacy (by Jeffrey Mason)

With the passing of Hollywood legend Paul Newman, there is a significant legacy that many in the mainstream media are unaware of. In addition to Paul Newman's magnificent philanthropic contributions from the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang charity for sick children to his strong support for many other causes, little known is his and his wife's ... http://go.sojo.net/ct/KdLWub11OSju/

President of ABC News Tells His Church to 'Vote Out Poverty' (by David Westin)

I work in news. I cannot take a partisan position. And I would not abuse my opportunity to talk with you this morning by talking politics. This is not about Republicans or Democrats; it's not about being conservative or being liberal. It's about social justice no matter what your personal political beliefs. ... http://go.sojo.net/ct/DpLWub11OSjI/

Top 10 Reasons to Sign the Vote Out Poverty Pledge (by Aaron Graham)

Because politics have failed to solve big problems in the past, it is tempting, even during a critical election year, to become apathetic and disengage from the political process. However, if we are to have any hope to change the failed politics of our nation, we must activate ourselves as citizens and re-center the national debate and agenda who around Jesus calls the "least of these." We invite you to join our Vote Out Poverty Campaign and ... http://go.sojo.net/ct/D7LWub11OSjW/

Bad News and Good News for a Dream Deferred (by Bart Campolo)

Remember Bobbie Williams, the tough but hopeful friend we sent to truck-driving school back in May? Well, the bad news is that Bobbie washed out of the course a few months later, after her adult daughter suffered complications in childbirth and Bobbie had to take the newborn home herself for a few weeks to keep it out of foster care. It was truly painful to watch Bobbie's dream (and her family's best chance at a steady income) ... http://go.sojo.net/ct/JpLWub11OSjb/

The Idolatry of Security (Part 2) (by Soong-Chan Rah)

[Continued from part 1] I am not stating a position on the bailout plan. Nobody cares what my position is on the bailout plan. I'm asking Christians to consider what values are being exhibited when we discuss and reflect on the bailout plan. Is our first priority caring for the poor among us or the preservation of our right to worship at the foot of the idol of economic security? http://go.sojo.net/ct/DdLWub11OSjO/

Orgy of Greed, Action Without Forethought (by Brian McLaren)

There's something about the current economic crisis that is trying to tell us our way of life is insane and unsustainable. Too many experts want to "fix" the crisis without learning what it is trying to teach us. Thankfully, Bob Carlton is a blogger who is trying to learn by reflecting meaningfully on what's going on, seeking to mine some wisdom from the mountain of insanity. http://go.sojo.net/ct/J7LWub11OSjg/

Good News Break: It's Now Legal to Feed Poor People in Orlando (by Alan Clapsaddle)

Last Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Gregory A. Presnell struck down the City of Orlando's "Large Group Feeding Ordinance." The ordinance had been enacted to try to move groups of homeless people out of downtown. This, in effect, criminalized the actions of First Vagabonds Church of God holding worship services and food sharing on Sundays and Orlando Food Not Bombs (OFNB) which holds food sharings ... http://go.sojo.net/ct/JdLWub11OSjt/

Holy Boldness by Biblical Women (by Mimi Haddad)

Last week I celebrated the political prominence women enjoy today as a direct extension of the gains earned for women by early evangelicals. The early evangelicals were some of the first to develop a whole-Bible approach in their advocacy of gender and ethnic equality - biblical ideals that propelled their work as suffragists, abolitionists, and evangelists on mission fields where women outnumbered men two to one. ... http://go.sojo.net/ct/FpLWub11OSjX/

A Satirical Sermon Mocks Mammon-Worship (by Diana Butler Bass)

When I was a girl, my mother told me one should never discuss four things in polite company: religion, politics, sex, and money. As my mother recited the list to me, I asked, "But why? Why can't we talk about these things?" She replied, "Because they are personal, these are things that are most important to us. People disagree on them. So, you shouldn't talk about them." In recent years, Americans have pretty much dismissed mom's advice. http://go.sojo.net/ct/-7LWub11OSjf/

Hard Data on the Shifting Evangelical Ethos (by Brian McLaren)

A recent study by Religion and Ethics Newsweekly offers some data that the younger generation of evangelicals is beginning to chart a different course from their elders. Younger evangelicals share their elders' opposition to abortion, but in other areas, they are choosing to differ. http://go.sojo.net/ct/-dLWub11OSjr/

The Legacy of Wartime Slurs (by Anna Almendrala)

I thought our culture had no more use for wartime curses. Granted, my sophisticated analysis is nothing more than noticing if people are calling me any names, until I realized -- the U.S. isn't fighting any South East Asian wars at the moment. No, the latest immigrant groups to bear the brunt of war racism in America are our browner brothers and sisters: South Asians, Arabs, and anyone else (un)lucky enough to be mistaken for anything in between. http://go.sojo.net/ct/-1LWub11OSj4/

Zogby's Purple People Poll (by Marcia Ford)

While most political junkies were distracted by the big news of the week -- the economic meltdown, the first presidential debate -- the good people at Zogby International and the Norman Lear Center released a poll whose title warmed my very heart: Meet the Purples! (Trust me. The exclamation mark is all theirs.)

http://go.sojo.net/ct/F7LWub11OSjB/

The Idolatry of Security (Part 1) (by Soong-Chan Rah)

Last week at North Park Theological Seminary, we conducted our annual Scripture Symposium, which focuses on the theological interpretation of scripture. This year's topic was "The Idolatry of Security." The topic was actually picked years ahead of time, so the organizers had no idea how appropriate it would be in light of the economic meltdown of the last few weeks. http://go.sojo.net/ct/FdLWub11OSjc/

Two Options for Weathering Economic Storms: Wealth or Simplicity (by Leroy Barber)

There are, however, two groups of people that are better suited to survive the storm, and they are the very wealthy and those who live simply. The very wealthy will take a hit, but on account of being very wealthy they are better prepared than most for storms and massive losses. Those who live simply are in many ways prepared because the simple lifestyle keeps you from over-indulging in this consumer driven economy of ours. Living simply is wealth for the middle class and the poor. http://go.sojo.net/ct/F1LWub11OSjd/

Video: Financial Crisis Has Election Implications (by Jim Wallis)

Jim Wallis was on PBS's Religion & Ethics Newsweekly yesterday to discuss the Wall Street bailout and the moral implications for the nation and the election. Watch it here. http://go.sojo.net/ct/GpLWub11OSje/

SBC-Controlled Bookstores Remove Magazine With Women Pastors on Cover (by Mimi Haddad)

Just recently, more than 100 bookstores controlled by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) removed the recent issue of Gospel Today -- an issue whose cover highlighted the gospel-work of women. Have you ever wondered if the SBC might be "kicking against the goads" in their tireless efforts to censor the obvious fact that God, throughout history, has and continues to gift, call, and bless the gospel-service of women? Removing copies of Gospel Today, as it celebrates women leading the world to Jesus, is like trying to suppress the early apostles! http://go.sojo.net/ct/G7LWub11OSj3/

A Historic Week for South Africa (by Nontando Hadebe)

The political events in South Africa over the last week have been historical -- a relatively 'smooth' change of presidency without bloodshed in Africa! No doubt there is more to the change, including underlying hostilities and power issues. Yet these issues should not diminish the significance of this event for African politics, namely that the highest office in the land can be challenged and replaced. http://go.sojo.net/ct/GdLWub11OSjx/

Micah's Challenge to the Future President (by Brian Swarts)

Yesterday, the United Nations met to discuss our progress toward cutting global poverty in half by 2015. Tonight, the U.S. presidential candidates are at least scheduled to debate foreign policy. While most of us in America are focused on our financial mess in Wall Street, there is another major crisis taking place -- one of life and death. Right now, the developing world faces a major hunger crisis that threatens to push an additional 70 million into extreme poverty. http://go.sojo.net/ct/G1LWub11OSjs/

Talking to the New Evangelical Voters (by Jeannie Choi)

During the final week of the 2000 presidential election, I was in the fall semester of my freshman year in college, feeling incredibly hungry -- hungrier than I had ever been before. Compelled by a mobilization of young Christians to fast and pray for the election, I committed to fast for the three days leading up to Election Day. Sitting hunched over in lecture halls to muffle the sounds gurgling from my stomach, I sent out single sentence prayers for my candidate of choice to be elected to office ... http://go.sojo.net/ct/HpLWub11OSjw/

And the #1 Threat to America: BEARS! (by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

Fans of the Colbert Report know that Stephen has done a lot to raise awareness of the dangers of bears. His work remains unfinished. Last week, the Metro station two blocks from the Sojourners office was shut down by police because of a bomb scare caused by a "suspicious" package. Turns out the suspicious package was in the shape of a life-sized stuffed polar bear ... http://go.sojo.net/ct/TpLWub11OSjA/

Common Ground With the Muslim World (by Nate Van Duzer)

What do Madeleine Albright, Richard Armitage, Ingrid Mattson of the Islamic Society of North America, Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, a Muslim imam, a Catholic bishop, a retired Lieutenant General, a former head of AIPAC, and other leading public figures have in common? All are members of the ... http://go.sojo.net/ct/H7LWub11OSj2/

================================================= SOJOURNERS IN THE NEWS ================================================= + Sign up to receive our "Daily Digest" e-mail - the latest headlines on critical issues http://go.sojo.net/ct/CdLWub11OSjo/ -------------------------------------------------