Time to Panic?

So, let's get this straight.

Wall Street is in turmoil.
The 'greed is good' credo is found to be faulty.
Follow the leader is not a good financial strategy.

It sound like we're in trouble, doesn't it?

A lot of attention was paid to 'getting the American Dream' quick. Not enough attention was paid to the means that was going to get us there. It's staggering to think that our best and brightest could develop economic strategies that would end up leveling some of our most prestigious financial institutions.

Did individual financial gain trump time-tested values? It did.

We're all going to pay the price.Maybe this is an opportunity to step back and mourn what we've lost. It's more than diminished savings plans. It's more than a stumbling and tumbling stock market. We've lost confidence. Confidence in leaders. Confidence in institutions.

What should cause us to reassess (not to panic) is our seeming inability to establish our decision making in solid values rooted in some sort of authoritative source. It's happening not just in our financial marketplace but everywhere we gather. It's about me ...my needs, my desires, my hopes, my dreams ...so little about the 'us' ...the common good. Until we start thinking about the 'us' we'll be subject to the whims of individual decision makers who can't seem to get beyone their own needs and desires.

The big question I have revolves around whether or not 'good people' will be willing to step forward to lead us into whatever comes next. It's us ordinary folks who have to reinvolve and reinvest ourselves into the social and cultural framework. We're going to have to learn to talk to each other.You see, I think we're entering a 'brave new world'. The old rules aren't working very well. We're going to have rethink everything again.

I want to reengage, reinvolve, and reinvest. It will come with a price.Part of the price I'll pay is taking the time to understand what I believe. It's back to my 'authoritative source' ...the Scriptures. It's time to dig, to pray ...to interact with God's word putting aside my pre-conceived notions and biases. If I'm going to both participate and lead in the great cultural and social conversations that need to take place I need to have both God's wisdom and presence 24/7. If I don't, then I should start panicing.