My father was a History teacher, and in the early stages of my secondary education I enjoyed his lessons: indeed some fifty years on I am amazed what I still remember. He was passionate in the belief that we should study History, so as to learn from the past, for whilst we live in an ever rapidly scientific and technologically changing world, human ambitions stay much the same!
Was it King Louis XIV of France who, sensing the growing unrest in his kingdom due to social and economic injustice, said “Après moi le deluge!” That the growing issues of his day were faced neither by himself nor his immediate successor, proved to be one of the main causes of the French revolution with all its bloodshed and disorder. The system he enjoyed broke down with terrible consequences, not for him, but for those who came later. It was a time of crisis – a time of judgement, for that is the root of our word “crisis”.
Today we face a “credit crunch”, turmoil in the banking industry, many face real pressures with mortgages and burdens of debt, (self inflicted, or spurred on by those who have encouraged and made it seemingly easy to have now and pay later). Oil prices have soared, as have the price of many of the things we have come to regard as basic. The outlook is decidedly uncomfortable.
What do we do? It seems the current effort is put into trying to find ways of alleviating the pressure (fair enough) but so we can continue with a consumerist lifestyle? – which at the very least desires to maintain the status quo, and so often looks for more! History suggests to us that is a way of folly! (Incidentally the Bible says the same!) Might it possibly be that the present crisis is a warning of judgement and a clarion call that we have to face the uncomfortable challenge of learning to live differently: to live with less rather than more, or else…, that both in the world of today and more certainly in the future others may simply live.
Will we take the attitude of the French Kings and those around them? Or are we ready to face the far harder but wiser path of having our own ambitions challenged and changed, and then encouraging those in positions of considerable influence to lead us all in that direction?
A change of heart is required!
With my prayers,
Jim Stevens