From Bringing it to the Table: He (Elmer Lapp, a small farmer in Lancaster, Pa.) is also aware that the pattern of subsistence is a community pattern. He says, for instance, that he deals with the little country stores rather than the supermarkets in the city. The little country stores support the life of the community, whereas the supermarkets support “the economy” at the expense of communities.”
This forces a question I have had for a while. What is the “economy?” The stimulus package Obama gave to America was designed to be a shot of epinephrine into the coutry’s failing economy. “If the economy is good, everything will be fine for us.” This is the dominant underlying assumption of every bit of news we have heard in the last two years. But, this is as absurd as trusting in money. I am angry that I have bought this line to some degree, but it is simply not true. It is a line right out of the liturgy of Materialism.
But what is even more interesting is that it as soon as we recognize this line as idolatry, we have to ask how the economy became a god. Not everything about the economy is bad, but what is this thing? I can wrap my mind around the economy of a family, a business, even a town. But I can’t figure out what “the economy” that is being referred to actually is. It is not the economy of the USA. It is not something that can be mapped or described. It does not describe anything itself. It is a mystery.
It seems to me that it is a god. It is a colossal distraction in the very least. Why should I feel the need to support something that has no relationship to me? Why should I fear something that no one can describe to me, that I can’t be sure even exists? This is too much. That I should base most of my actions on a day-to-day basis on something that has been conjured up like this is absurd, and culpable.
Let’s say it does exist and it is the standard by which we measure our economic health as a country and as individuals. Why should I make a decision based on the good of the economy (for the sake of the individuals it contains) that clearly does not benefit my neighbors? This is a contradiction in terms. It is a contradiction of ethics. At this point, we are being asked, solicited, even paid to support our economy. Yet this does not help our neighbors, it hurts them (I think on this forum I can safely assert this?). When it comes to this point it is obvious that we can no longer give ourselves to this pursuit or any pursuit that is based on this line.
Gabe,
A very good question. I haven’t read Berry yet, so I don’t want to try and answer any economic questions. However, I do think you hit on a bigger point — fear. I’m becoming convinced that one of the significant differences between the church and the world is whether fear or love is their dominant characteristic. I’m still working this out (so don’t challenge me yet, Davey), but the constant demand to fear is a constant facet of our society, and that ought to tell us something.
I think this sort of approach typifies the Christian localism I’ve seen and read about. They’re not afraid of the future; they simply want to love their neighbour.
Another thought: big change must come from the ground up.
I think this NYTimes article speaks to some of what GT brings up here. http://bit.ly/83p6Ns
I’ve always thought “the economy” was a pretty unhelpful abstraction, but then I’ve never been one for abstractions. When people start talking about the good of “the economy” they’re generally tossing around the old capitalist chestnut that more ‘wealth’ is good for everybody and has the ability to lift the poor up out of their poverty – a strictly unbiblical notion.
@Frank – Here here for ground up change, and hope and love over fear.
Your fear/love point is crucial, Frank. Fear cripples and makes slaves–in this case–to the economy.