from the pastor

With the price of gasoline hovering at $4.05/ga people are suggesting drastic proposals to lower the price. This week you can read about a church that is offering a 50% no strings attached discount to the community. That is a cleaver idea, at least the church is serving the community, but is that what Jesus called us to do? Bribe people into the kingdom. If you think so read the article, "Cost and Benefit in Religious Affiliation."

Two weeks ago, I posted an article about a few Christians in CA who were praying for God to intervene by lowering the price of gasoline. I wonder if any of them considered that God may be the cause of high prices? (Read Ps 46:8 Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. is a part of the same Bible as the prayer of Jabez.) I guess that would require too great a paradigm shift for them to consider that idea. It is strange to me that a group of Christians would assume that the God had his son born in a stable would be moved to lower the price of gasoline. Maybe God will answer their prayers by telling them to walk or ride a bike!

Here in MI, a state legislator is proposing that the state wave the gas tax for the summer months to encourage travel. That is another suggestion that baffles me. That state rep wants to cause an even greater shortfall in the state's transportation funds just so that a few people can drive their gas guzzling SUV a few extra miles this summer. Brilliant, I am surprised that the GOP has not tapped that man as a presidential candidate.

I have mixed feelings about the price of gas. Knowing that Big Oil is making record breaking profits makes me angry. However, knowing that sources for solar and wind energy are getting more attentions causes me to become excited. The latter two technologies are conducive to taking care of our planet but are expensive. Eventually they will have to provide more of our energy supply. I would rather pay the extra price now then under emergency conditions in the future.

Drilling for new oil in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge will not provide any short term relief and will have a long term damage on the wilderness. Sadly, the scarcity of oil will become so great that the environmental groups will not be able to block it. I shudder to think what ecological crisis will result in those misguided efforts.

Personally, I am trying to follow the teachings of Jesus from the gospel lesson, two weeks ago, "Do not worry about what you shall eat or drink." Jesus tells us that the focus of our attention is not to be upon accumulating possessions. We are not to worry that we will may not have enough. That does not mean that we cannot take precautions. We are to still plant a crop and harvest it. We are to still work and earn an income but we are not to worry about the things. This requires us to learn to make due with what we have or even to reduce our standard of living. Is the price of gas too high-- walk, ride a bike reduce the miles you drive, buy fewer new clothes this year, or cancel your cable service. Is the price of food too high--buy fewer lattes, plant a vegetable garden, eat fewer processed foods, make your own bread.

This week Bush compared our fight against terrorism as important as WWII. (That was his hyperbole not mine.) Part of the increase in the price of gasoline is related to the war in Iraq.  If the war on terrorism is as important as WWII than I am expecting us ultimately to lose. We may defeat the Taliban and we may cripple al Queda, but at what price to our economy?We are sinking deeper and deeper into debt. We may one day owe China more money than our national assets our worth.

Another reason why I am skeptical about defeating the terrorists and maintaining our international supremacy is because the American people have forgotten how to make do and sacrifice. During WWII people cashed in their copper for the war effort. Today people strip abandoned homes to salvage the copper for themselves. During WWII people planted Victory Gardens. Today people expect MacDonalds to purchase inexpensive vegetables and low cost beef to keep prices down. During WWII people willingly accepted rationing. I dare you to suggest that today. We do not have a chance of beating the terrorists if the fight becomes as difficult as WWII.

The high cost of fuel is hurting the poor much more than the rich. It may also be driving the farmers, truckers and many other suppliers out of business. We could have world food shortages because the crop is not planted and what is planted cannot be transported to market. Hunger causes people to become mean and nasty.

We cannot solve or even alleviate long term problems with short term solutions without creating even greater long term consequences. The high price of fuel is not going to disappear simply because a few pious people are feeling cash strapped. The problem will not be removed by tearing up the Arctic landscape. We need a complete shift in the lifestyle of the American people. Christians could take the lead if they would only stop trying to serve two masters--God and mammon.