[ A ] Economic crisis touches our lives on a daily basis. “Yes, it is bad. I get the picture.” Most of us want to avoid the reality, but it’s what we’re dealing with. We have to live through economic crisis. No one is going to pull a sleeping beauty trick and wake up in 10 years when it’s all better. For better or worse this economy is what we have to deal with. We have to accept that and learn to live through it.
[ B ] Our first reaction in difficult times is to protect ourselves, and contract ourselves. We may be inclined to contract, not just our spending, but hearts. After all, the lesson that we have just learned on a national level is that taking risks will burn you. So we cut back on our financing, and we cut back on emotional investments. Who wants to get hurt? Let‘s just keep it all to ourselves, where we are safe and secure.
[ C ] However, in order to reap a reward, we have to risk something. We have to offer a bit of ourselves. To laugh is to risk appearing foolish. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk exposing our true self. To love is to risk not being loved in return. These are all very risky suggestions, but imagine the cost of not taking the risk. Not offering love, not offering laughter or not reaching out simply isn‘t an acceptable response to an economic crisis.
[ D ] Contracting ourselves will not do, either. We must continue to risk if we hope to truly live through this economic crisis. Living through the crisis is going to look a little different for each of us. We have been affected in different ways and much of that difference depends on age. Our biggest concern is the job market. Those who have jobs are holding on to them for dear life. We know that finding a job in this market, no matter how qualified we are, is like finding a needle in a haystack.
[ E ] These are all challenging situations. But for some people the picture is still more dreadful. For some people this economic crisis will mean going without basic needs. Some people, especially those who were just making ends meet before, find themselves without adequate food, or without the ability to pay rent. This is a real problem, a real shortage that affects people’s real lives.
[ F ] Some people jump to the message that money doesn’t matter. What really matters are love, and faith, and doing good for others. But the truth is, money matters, too. It matters a lot. This is not greedy to say. Money is what we use to meet our basic needs in life. When it is taken away in a seemingly unfair way, we feel helpless and cheated. When providing adequate housing and food for our loved ones is challenged, most other things fall by the wayside. Money matters , and it has slipped through our fingertips; it has been taken away.
[ G ] This crisis is about more than money. For many of us, our jobs are more than a source of income. They are a defining part of who we are. It’s not because our jobs make money that proves us to be successful, but because our jobs are our role in the world. The same thing is true for countless other people who find meaning in their careers. Our work is integral to our identity. So much of identity is what we do in this world. This is just one more way that the economic crisis is striking not just our bank accounts, but our hearts and souls. Losing a job that gives meaning to our lives can be damaging. This crisis challenges the very sense of self for some people.
[ H ] However, opportunities may come from hardship. With less disposable income for entertainment and individual activities, families and friends will be drawn to spend more time together in the community, telling jokes and stories. Maybe in our changed economy there will be more being together, and less buying together.