If we could just understand one thing and all come together on this idea, I would be so pleased! Economies are people. When we speak of the “economy” we are not just talking about someone’s 401k or stock market portfolio or their ability to purchase a second home and continue their insider trading making themselves and their corporations rich.
Somebody smart once simplified it all into an amusing analogy, “an economy is about monkeys having access to bananas.”
We are the monkeys. Whether or not we have access to bananas is dependent on the economy. We can put God in that equation too, as in, “the Lord will provide.” He meets our needs. In fact, if you’re living in a kingdom economy, if your mind is really focused on His abundance and provision, then odds are pretty good that the worldly economy has not been your mainstay, your source of blessing, your idol.
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Some of us do that, some of us are in great shape spiritually, emotionally, and financially, because we recognize and understand our dependence on the Lord. Others however are simply so used to living as they do, that they are complacent, entitled, they don’t realize that not everybody has that same kind of “normal.”
People all over the internet are saying things like, the economy doesn’t matter, lives are more important, we have to do this as long as it takes, and I’m not dying for the stock market. Those kind of statements reveal an incredible ignorance and huge amounts of privilege, comfort, and entitlement. Total blindness as to the reality of people’s lives around you.
People who live paycheck to paycheck can often survive a couple of weeks, but then they find themselves unemployed, out of money for groceries, and the rent is due. People are already hurting under normal circumstances, but now they’re hurting even more.
Put in the language of social justice and bleeding hearts everywhere, the economy is the difference between whether or not a battered woman can afford to leave an abusive situation. An economy is whether or not a case of child abuse is investigated or a kid is left to die. An economy is the difference between a woman choosing to have a child or choosing to have an abortion. An economy is whether or not you can send a 13 yr old to drug treatment or they just go on the streets to sex trafficking and eventual overdose.
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Yesterday I read a story about someone quite a bit better off, an ER doc. Unfortunately her hubby owns a pub, tied to the mortgage on their house. His restaurant is now shut down, she is living in the garage to protect her family from this virus, and he is trying to care for the kids, all while facing the impending loss of their home.
People are incredibly fragile, in the sense that the condition of our hearts, the things that afflict us, can be really aggravated by uncertainty of any kind, but especially economic uncertainty. That means mental and spiritual health can get much worse, addiction can get much worse, domestic violence can get worse, child abuse can get worse.
A six week old baby was recently killed here by her father a few weeks ago. It’s tragic, heart breaking, sad. I’ve been biting my tongue, resisting the urge to scream at people on the internet about the truth and reality of children’s lives, the horror of now being mandated, isolated, trapped in what may not be ideal circumstances. Gone is school, church, extended family, and support systems, everything healthy one might need for some respite, for some survival. I’ve lived that, I get that, it’s probably a trigger of mine.
Also, when somewhat stable people hit a financial wall, like that ER doctor, they have to stop helping others, they have to turn and focus their resources on themselves and their own family. So the economy sets off a chain reaction, like ripples in a pond.
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Economies are real people’s lives. Sometimes they are the difference between life and death. This economic shut down, this quarantine has already cost lives. It’s going to cost even more before we are finished. It’s way above my pay grade to try and calculate if we are saving more lives than we are destroying. I just want us to stop pretending as if everyone is living in their beautiful homes celebrating a patriotic Norman Rockwell moment, bragging about how they have so virtuously resisted the urge to hoard toilet paper, and watching the Disney channel.
When we say foolish things, as my Governor recently did, words about how we may just extend this quarantine for several more weeks because the economy is not as important as people’s lives, what we are basically saying is that we have made a determination that some lives are more important than others and that regardless of the cost, those are the lives we will protect, at the expense of all the others.
Because economies are real people.
See, there's this thing called biology... 
It’s silly, isn’t it? Even when there is a national emergency, there are those who delve into class warfare.
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It’s crazy and really ironic too, because often those “diving into class warfare” are the very one’s giving us a good reason to go to war over class warfare!! Like my foolish Governor who is allegedly all about the poor…… in his billionaire mansion with his heavy stock investments, all trying to preach to those dependent on the economy about how the economy doesn’t matter.
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It seems that some people on the political spectrum are devoid of new ideas, and simply rely on the old boogeymen of race and class.
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I don’t see how opening things back up will help at this point. If the buffet restaurant opened tomorrow I would not go eat there. I also wouldn’t go watch a game in person and have a drink at a crowded bar after, have a spa day or take my kids to Disney. I’m not going on any of the cruises or other vacations that they are practically giving away right now until this threat has passed. Unless the business mostly serves reckless gen Z spring break types then will opening it up really help?
The whole argument presumes that the virus isn’t an actual threat and that none of the bad things (overwhelmed hospitals, serious illness, lung damage, death) will happen if we all just wash our hands and go to the mall. Yes, the economy is people and a lot of people don’t want to risk their health and the health of their loved ones.
I know that I have made this decision from my comfortable mortgage paid off house while my husband works from home. I feel for the people whose work and paychecks depend on other people going out. But I’m staying in whether those places are open or not. I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one who feels that way.
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You are probably not the only one who feels that way. I’m just pointing out the truth, the fact that our economic decisions, our attempts to put our own safety above the well being of those who depend on the economy in order to feed their children, is also going to kill people. Fortunately many of us, like grocery store workers, are willing to risk our health for the well being of others.
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There are no good options here. Hopefully the stimulus bill that just passed will actually help people who need it because it looks like this situation will go on for some time whether businesses are open or not.
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There really aren’t a whole lot of good options. It’s interesting to me how quickly some of us become “essential” like keeping the grocery stores open, while others are kind of just perceived as expendable. The selfishness of people just astounds me sometimes.
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I don’t think the argument to not shut down the economy presumes the virus is not a threat. I’ve never heard or read anyone say anything remotely similar to that. It’s that opening up certain sectors while keeping distancing policies, rigorous hygiene methods and quarantining the vulnerable population makes a lot of sense and we ought to consider this, or at least the be able to have rational discussions about it. A broken economy is a broken people and brings about its own catastrophic effects.
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Very well said! Stating that the health & well-being of human beings is more important than the economy is similar to that of being between a rock and a hard place.
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Thank you. Somebody smart used to tell me, “when you’re stuck between a rock and hard place, Who your rock is, is everything.” 🙂
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1st, allow me to applaud your keen insight and concur with your perspective. In this worldly realm many insist that there is always at least two sides to everything. Although I dare to challenge such conventional ‘wisdom’ – I discovered that only one side of eternity will matter. Upon accepting that as truth, everything else built on that foundation fits perfectly in place, makes complete sense, and perpetuates faith, hope, and love.
People on both sides cling adamantly to their convictions, both believing they are absolutely right. Therefore, opposing views are obviously wrong and those holding them ought to be shunned and silenced. While some adhere to the notion that opposing views may be equally valid, few properly contemplate ALL the options, realizing that a far greater fate than succumbing to either a virus or economic collapse awaits. Life depends entirely on the LIFE GIVER. Other views can cling to their right to be different. They can be as sincere, as both views often are. But in the end, one is concluded sincerely wrong.
Selfishness is manifest when whatever your view, you have to eliminate others to maintain it. Tolerance seeks to coexist while walking peaceably in respect. Loving your enemies while praying for their enlightenment, as you once where in need of enlightenment, proves that we’re ALL aboard the same ‘ship of fools’. But there is only ONE life boat.
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Thanks MJ. Your words are reassuring. I also really liked your, “ship of fools but only ONE life boat.” 🙂
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The only time both views are equally valid is when both views are wrong.
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“we’re ALL aboard the same ‘ship of fools’. But there is only ONE life boat.” – Well said!
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Well said, IB. The economy is people, and this means we can’t wait for a perfectly sanitized and safe environment before we’ll step out of our houses. Imagine if our health care workers did this! No one would be treated. Loving others means taking risks as well as being careful. The economy cannot be shut down indefinitely. I, for one, will wash my hands and go outside and support my community and those in need.
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Exactly, Mel. Like it or not, life involves some risk and we are never going to create a perfectly safe place for ourselves. Be sensible and careful, but not totally crazy.
I’m getting a little bit cranky with all this fear mongering, canceled church, recreation, even fishing, don’t even leave your house, don’t even go outside! Oh, but all you “essential workers” you still need to go to work to keep people in fast food, groceries, liquor stores, medical care……
Probably I’m just getting cranky. 🙂
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Here in California pot shops are deemed essential businesses. 🙄
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So are liquor stores in Kentucky.
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Right on. The entitlement is absolutely bizzare. Why can’t I feel empathy for the people going through the same struggles I am going through financially? Thanks, I needed this rant.
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I am very thankful to have leaders who can foresee consequences and make plans to deal with more than one issue at a time. Being between a rock and a hard place possibly demands actions against both. Removing the rock and leaving the hard place alone does no good if one has to get past the hard place in order to move on. Was that convoluted? I think I said what I wanted to say. 😀
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Thank you for writing this IB, it’s something that so needed to be said. Apparently if you discuss the catastrophic effects of shutting down the economy this means you “want old people to die”. Of course the “smart” crowd on the interwebz is now parroting this narrative about Trump and anyone who feels the same way. The way they jump from one issue to another to be offended by reminds me of a dumb pack of hyenas jumping from one kill to the next.
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Exactly, Tricia. Out of one side of their neck people say “be afraid, be very afraid and never leave your house.” Oh, except for you grocery store workers, fast food employees and pot stores. The rules don’t apply to any of you, do your patriotic duty. The rest of you, omg, are you trying to kill grandma??!
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I am feeling unbelievable blessed right now. Hubby lost his job right before this all exploded, which has turned out to be a blessing in disguise because he got a big, fat severance payout, more than enough to carry us through until unemployment wages kick in (which could be a while because the system is so backlogged at the moment).
My son is the only one in the house who is currently working – he works as a butcher in a grocery store, so he is considered “essential” and has had no shortage of work. (He told me a funny story about a co-worker of his who spent his entire four-hour shift stocking toilet paper!). We haven’t run out of anything; my son just grabs what we need each day and brings it home with him, easy peasy.
We’re gonna be okay. We’re not rich, but we’ve become accustomed to pooling our resources and sharing costs with my son’s family. It’s not for everybody, but we’ve managed to make it work.
Thanks to some generous family members, my fridge and cupboards are stuffed; I have more milk and cheese than I know what to do with (I have 10 litres of milk alone!) There’s 11 boxes of cereal (good way to use up the milk I guess), 2 dozen boxes of mac and cheese at least 40 cans of beans, canned pasta and canned vegetables. Two kg of cream cheese. That’s like, 5 lbs of cream cheese!
There is no lack here; we have, in fact, an embarrassing abundance in a time of lack, both real and perceived.
I want to give away our excess to our neighbours, but my daughter-in-law is struggling with this. She looks at our hoard and it comforts her; she sees it as a bulwark against potential future lack. And I am like, “But there will be more food next week!”. And there will be, because one way or another, we will have our daily bread. I haven’t gone without yet, and I have no reason to suspect that will change. I’m not sure if that is my faith talking or just my Pollyanna nature at work – perhaps they are one and the same – but I just don’t worry about where my daily bread is gonna come from. Even when we lost our house, we didn’t become *homeless*. We still ate, we found shelter with our son; our circumstances were diminished, but we never went without.
And so here we find ourselves, through a series of unfortunate losses, well positioned to weather this crisis. I actually have MORE resources available to me than before this thing started. I will be able to help my kids and my neighbours out of that abundance. That’s an economy as well – a little underground micro-economy, where people will trade and share resources of all kinds with each other.
Our responsibility to one another goes far beyond simply keeping our distance from each other’s cooties. It is a high priority right now, and rightly so, because so much is riding on it, but our responsibility to each other doesn’t simply end there. People must eat and have shelter whether they are healthy or sick; we are still responsible to each other for those needs.
If you are in a position to stay home and your conscience compels you to do so, then by all means, love your neighbour in this way and God be praised! If you continue to work because your service has been deemed essential, then God be praised for your willingness to serve this way. And if you determine that you can’t cease working without bringing grave harm upon yourself and family, then God be praised that you still have employment to sustain your needs.
We have the freedom to love and serve our neighbour according to their need and our good conscience in a variety of creative ways. Call me crazy, but that excites me!
Now is SO not the time to be concerned with virtue-signalling the “best” way to love our neighbour in this and shaming others for choosing to love their neighbour differently, according to their own good conscience.
We just don’t need any further distancing between each other. Not now.
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Amen, well said! Often those of us who have faced hardship really are blessed, well equipped to weather the storm. Especially true if you have those family ties and can work together.
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” … as if everyone is living in their beautiful homes celebrating a patriotic Norman Rockwell moment, bragging about how they have so virtuously resisted the urge to hoard toilet paper, and watching the Disney channel.” These people need to get up off their blessed assurance and see what they can do to help the not-so-blessed. If they are “high risk” and afraid to go out now, or tested positive and ordered to stay home, they can spend their time praying for others, communicating via all the technologies that are available (This is the time for Christians to be spreading the hope of the Gospel, not watching the Disney Channel!), planning how they are going to be part of the solution in the days ahead.
And whatever you do, folks, don’t complain about being bored! I doubt you’ll find much sympathy.
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Economy shrinks, IMF on V-shaped recovery. Some economists suggest of W-shaped recovery by the year 2021-22…
https://theliberacy.com/2020/04/22/economy-shrinks-imf-on-v-shaped-recovery/
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