Last year in the midst of the recession, Mervin Lehman offered his perspective on why his Indiana Amish community was struggling financially.
"People wanted bigger weddings, newer carriages...They were buying things they didn't need."
Newer carriages? Quaint? Humorous? Certainly, strange to our ears. It would appear that consumerism is able to reach into even the most intentionally austere of religious communities.
Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve chair make his own theological statement on the economic crisis, "Unless somebody can find a way to change human nature, we will have more crises."
Nobody has managed that. But at the very least, faith communities can continue to emphasize good stewardship practices like seeing your budget as a theological statement, being intentional about our charitable givings, making an effort to cultivate a generous heart.
Faith communities offer us the encouragement to develop the best part of our human nature. Bank on it.
Peter
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