It is not the best of times, nor the worst of times. It is a time of uncertainty.
As President elect Barack Obama waits in the wings, the economy, in particular, appears to be on the verge of something akin to the ‘R-word’ (= R***ssion), if not, some fear, actual Depression. It could get worse. It could get better. It could be one thing. It could be another. People talk about it. People wonder. No one knows for sure. It is, in short, a time of uncertainty.
Not immune
How does the Christian live in such times? For, like anyone else, the Christian is not immune to economic troubles. He or she is as much a part of this world, in that sense, as a non-Christian. Christians still have to pay their bills. They still have to make ends meet. They still need jobs. So a Christian cannot escape difficult times by living in fantasy. Sometimes spiritual ‘experiences’, so-called, can be as much an attempt to forget what is truly difficult as hitting the bottle, or watching TV, or piling up the ice cream. Perhaps healthier! But a Christian must realise that he or she is not immune from these difficulties. Everyone has to face up to their own cheque book.
