October 2, 2009

Fears that the weak labor market could undermine the economic recovery deepened Friday after the government announced that the U.S. unemployment rate jumped to 9.8 percent in September — the highest in 26 years.

The Labor Department said U.S. employers cut 263,000 jobs last month, meaning payrolls have now dropped for 21 consecutive months. Experts had not expected such massive cuts, especially on the heels of a revised report showing 201,000 job losses in August. Last month's unemployment rate was 9.7 percent.

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These are days of peril and opportunity. These are times of uncertainty and hope. We live in crisis and that can be good news or bad news. How we respond to crisis with creativity and compassion will determine the outcomes. Many of us will suffer. Some will rise from the ashes stronger and better. When we stumble in the dark, the only eyes with which we can see are the eyes of faith.

"Yea though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art WITH me."

The most neglected words in this familiar verse are the prepositions, "through" and "with."

The second speaks to the companionship, guidance, and protection of God.

The first speaks to the duration of the crisis, which is temporary.

The wounds we sustain in the valley may last, but the lessons we learn and the character we develop through our choices will also endure.

The crisis is a journey, not a destination. We pass through it, perhaps camping along the way, but we keep going until we arrive elsewhere.

As we walk, we are not alone.

The message of the church is two-fold to the anxious masses:

1) Keep walking, putting one foot in front of the other and making good decisions for the future. Don't stop except to catch your breath and nourish yourself. Don't quit.

AND …

2) You are not alone. Don't be afraid. Fear can cripple you. Trust the One who walks alongside you.

Beyond that, we may be called to walk alongside as well, to offer tangible encouragement, and visible, priestly evidence of God's compassion. We are also called upon to exercise faith in our own personal lives and ministries where things are precarious. We are fellow travelers with the masses.

We are all going through this and none of us is alone.