I still feel queasy about our basic economic model for growth
I have blogged in the past about the requirement for western economies to sustain themselves by needing high levels of consumption, paid for by us requiring large amounts of available credit. Obviously when credit is unobtainable this creates a problem. I note that the Bible is not enthusiastic about debt.
Apart from the real challenges to the environment created by large amounts of consumption, it’s difficult to see a way out. Before the recession there were increasing numbers of people writing with concern about the amount of personal and unsecured debt that many had taken on. Politicians as far as I can see can only see a way out by encouraging banks to lend again.
One big challenge for us in the UK is how much of our disposable (spendable) income is taken up by the astronomic costs of housing. If something could be done about that, then I think we might have a fighting chance of getting out of recession without people having to incur such large amounts of debt. However, such a solution might not address the challenges of environmentsl sustainability.
One might suggest re-introducing tax concessions on mortgage loans, except that such a move would very likely have an inflationary impact on the cost of housing.
I realise this is not even ‘blue sky’ thinking, more likely ‘cloud cuckoo land’. Someone needs to dream about a new way of living on this planet.

martin Freye 1:01 pm on May 11, 2012 Permalink
Testimonies to prayer have been sadly missed, or not believed, in the Church.
Barb Kirby 5:52 am on May 15, 2012 Permalink
Prayer diaries, especially group ones and even more importantly with Young people are a way of seeing HOW God answers some of our prayers and encourages us to acknowledge to one another how those prayers are answered. We can encourage even people who have not yet come into a relationship with God to know that He IS a loving and caring Father. Sometimes we can get discouraged if we don’t get feedback that God HAS answered our prayers for others. Let us make a point of encouraging people by telling them that we are praying for them, and in turn letting these intercessors know that they are making a difference. However small the matter. Life is usually made up of lots of small miracles rather than big ones. Both are testimony to a gracious God and a loving brother or sister in Christ who cares. It’s good to be thankful for answered prayer so we should be looking for answers and testifying to them to christians and unbelievers alike. God gets praised through it anyway, which is what the church is called to do.