Posted by
Recreational Ranter on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 9:35:50 AM
Oil and gas prices have fallen dramatically during the last month. How nice it is to spend a mere $50 dollars to fill my tank rather than the $70-plus I was dropping just a few weeks ago! Alas, I'm one of those Eeyores who thinks this ain't gonna last.
Let's face it, petroleum is at the very root and foundation of our economy. It isn't just the gas you put in your tank; it's also the fuel used to ship your cheap lettuce, meat, Chinese toys, and so many other goods over long distances so you and I can enjoy the good life at an affordable price. But the chemical fertilizers and pesticides that help to grow that same lettuce and perhaps the feed that fattens that steer to produce your steak, the plastic that is used to make that toy, are all dependent on oil.
Love 'em or hate 'em, what's going to happen to the Wal-Marts who are tied so heavily to cheap oil to transport the huge volume of goods that guarantee low prices? What about the huge amusement and entertainment complexes like Disneyland/World, Las Vegas, Six Flags, etc.? Or, what about the huge mega churches so dependent on commuter congregations with facilities requiring huge amounts of financial and volunteer resources?
In my North Carolina town - a huge golf and retirement mecca - farmers markets have become a fun novelty over the last year or two. We have our Wal-Mart, but folks enjoy going to breakfast in our quaint little town, including a stop at the park to browse the offerings of our local farmers fresh produce.
This being the South you'll find churches everywhere. Along with the zillion Baptist churches, we even have our own mega church in the making, billboards on the approaches into town proclaiming "We're Growing!" to potential worshipers shopping around for the latest offering on the menu.
I have to wonder if all of this is sustainable (Yeah, sustainable is so overused these days, but, darn it, it fits!). Are we heading for times when the mega church/mart phenomenon fades and the local and community farmers market, the community church become a necessities?
I confess that I hope this is so. While I don't approve of the means of getting there, i.e. political, corporate, and individual greed, idolatry, and disregard of the Constitution, I am glad that perhaps, perhaps we will be forced to live with a clearer sense of responsibility, of stewardship for our families, our communities, our land, and a renewed dependence on the One who is the source of all righteousness and blessing.