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Human Nature and the Economy

This month has been an interesting one. We’ve finally been hearing some good news related […]

Mockingbird / 9.29.09

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This month has been an interesting one. We’ve finally been hearing some good news related to the economy. Just over a week ago Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the recession was “very likely over,” (read about it here) and I have to say I felt a little bit lighter on the inside. This week it looks like the stock market may begin to reflect some of that good news by creeping toward the symbolic 10,000 point mark, although today it was down a few points:(. Still, there’s reason to be a little more hopeful than we were at the beginning of the year. Things looked downright dismal in March, and now we’re hearing about businesses making deals again, and hopefully it’s just a matter of time before we begin to feel that relief on the local level. Right?

Well, maybe not. The former Fed Chairman, Alan Greenspan (whom many have blamed for the recent economic difficulties) reminded us all of the actual core problem with our economy. You may be thinking, “My gosh! What is it? If we know what the problem is, then we can get busy about fixing it.” Well, it isn’t the over-leveraging of debt. It isn’t the resistance to lending of the major banks. It isn’t the sub-prime mortgage debacle. It isn’t even the lack of regulation on Wall Street. According to Mr. Greenspan (and the Bible), it’s you and me. He told the BBC earlier this month that we are in for more economic crises because of human nature (read it here).

Like a modern day Nathan (2 Samuel 12:7) he said, It’s human nature, unless somebody can find a way to change human nature, we will have more crises and none of them will look like this because no two crises have anything in common, except human nature.

What a buzz kill! Thanks a lot Alan.

It just goes to show how fast we put our hope and trust in the world around us. I always think that if I just had a little more of a financial cushion I would feel some relief. Or maybe some more help from the government would do the trick. Or like John and Paul (of The Beatles, not the Bible) wrote, “I’ll get by with a little help from my friends.” That has been especially easy to believe over the past couple of hard years. It’s understandable. We just want some relief. BUT, as always, the world disappoints. Things may get better, but Mr. Greenspan is right that they will always get worse again.

Thankfully, we have a heard some Good News that comes from outside of this world and its disappointments, News that “never fails” (1 Cor. 13). We’ve actually heard the liberating Word of the Gospel from God which tells us that He is the “Somebody” that has “found a way to change human nature.” Though we haven’t experienced that change yet, we wait for it, remembering the Cross and placing our hope in the One-Who-Is-Faithful as opposed to we who are not.

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COMMENTS

3 responses to “Human Nature and the Economy”

1. paul says:

   09/30/2009 at 10:10 am

   I think this is a wonderful post.
   Greenspan's comment will never be received, but it reverberates with power.

   Reply
2. DZ says:

   09/30/2009 at 11:17 am

   That is an AMAZING quote from Greenspan. Wow. Thank you, Sean.

   Reply
3. Sean Norris says:

   09/30/2009 at 1:57 pm

   Thanks Paul and Dave:)

   Reply