Economic Recovery or Spiritual Awakening

WARNING: THIS BLOG HAS BEEN WRITTEN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A LOT OF CAFFEINE AND LITTLE SLEEP!

During the election cycle...you remember that, right? It was when you couldn't watch 10 minutes of TV without seeing repeated commercials for candidates...commercials that usually contradicted each other...sometimes back to back...OK...now that you remember the election cycle...One of the statements made during that cycle was by then-candidate Barack Obama. He described the situation (way back then) as "the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression." I'm not going to go all stat-geek on you and question the accuracy of that statement...others have already done so (http://www.reason.com/blog/show/129762.html).

Rather, I wonder why there is such an emphasis on our current economic crisis needing to be "the worst." I think it is because we want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. And, while it may not be "fun", being a part of "the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression" gives credibility to the stamina and perseverance of a segment of the US Population known more for its weaknesses than its strengths. To whom, pray tell, am I referring? Baby Boomers. That larger than life, wonderful bunch of post-WWII, hippy-era folks who are suddenly coming to the end of their careers and realizing the utter emptiness of it all. For them, their HAS to be something they have accomplished, something they have withstood, besides building a retirement account and a house with a three car garage...only to see their slacker son/grandson (the one sleeping on the sofa and who prefers body spray to showers) inherit it.

This economic crisis finally provides the opportunity Boomers have been wanting - a chance to prove to their old man that - just because they didn't serve in WWII and protested Vietnam - they really are resilient after all. Now, perhaps I am being a bit hard on the older generation...I'm a Buster you know...a Gen-Xer...a, well, whatever we are called. I'm in that next group down the age chart...and we aren't much better. Listen, here's the deal...we have no business comparing ourselves to the people who lived through the Great Depression...do we have 25% unemployment? NO. Have we seen our GDP contract by 33%? NO. Sorry...the stat-geek lives!

What we have seen in "this economic crisis" is a reduction in our expendable income. For Boomers (and Busters), "economic crisis" means we go on a shorter vacation. It means we complain because we paid $4 a gallon to drive to our vacation destination. (NOTE: we paid it...but we complained!) It means we pay a little higher interest rate on our new car loan. (OR, it means that we may have to actually demonstrate the capacity to pay off a debt before we are extended even more credit! the audacity!) It means we cannot believe the airline is going to charge us extra money to take our luggage to the resort in the Caribbean...how dare they!

Now, what does all this have to do with spiritual awakening? I was in a meeting about a month ago and heard this statement: "With every economic crisis in American history there has also been an increase in evangelical churches and converts." In other words, when our toys and financial security are removed, people start to ask the "big questions" once again. You know: who are we? where did we come from? what is the point of all this? Of course, I suspect things will have to get worse (i.e. a REAL economic crisis) before that happens. But, you see, it is when financial security disappears that people turn to God. It is then that they realize that the money, the company, the 401K, the cars, houses, etc were all a facade...and the desire to be a part of something that is REAL and BIGGER than their own lives remains stronger than ever.

So...if you are a follower of Christ I ask: do you want an economic recovery or a spiritual awakening?