Airplanes, Money & the Bedroom

There are few things in life that terrify me more than being a passenger in a landing airplane. In the beginning of July I had the terrible experience of flying to Ontario and back for meetings. There’s something horrifying about being strapped to a large piece of metal that’s speeding towards the earth. I feel helpless and terrified. I’m not sure what it is. Perhaps it’s the knots in my stomach – a kind of motion sickness. Or maybe my fear is the result of my lack of control; after all, I’m usually the one behind the steering wheel when Karen and I go for a drive. At least part of my problem with airplane landings is that I’m not in the driver’s seat. A similar feeling of dread gets to me when I go driving with some people. I also hate going on rides at amusement parks where, again, I’m not in control.

I know I’m not the only one who’s afraid of not being in control. Listening to the news these last couple of weeks, it’s become quite obvious that economists, politicians and bankers, in America, are also not in control. The language they use when talking about macro-economics betrays a lack of confidence and clarity about what exactly is happening, and where things will go. There’s a climate of fear and trembling that’s overshadowed the media, and it reminds me of the thick air of fear in a West-Jet plane that’s about to land. It seems we’re not in control and that capitalism won’t be tamed; at least not in my lifetime. Perhaps it is greed that’s taming us – we’ve wanted so much that now our debts are like a tightening noose.

Why, you ask, is a pastor speaking of fear, a dying economy, lack of control, and other terrifying realities like flying? Why not speak soothing words of calming trust? Well, because I’m also asked to speak truthfully. And truthfully speaking, much of our world is out of control – at least out of my control, and out of your control. The only answer I have is “trust God”, but that’s no simple answer. It’s not just some spiritual platitude; to say a prayer every night – as important as a deep prayer life is. The God I invite you to trust has some clear things to say about greed, economic practices, and how we order our communities financially. ‘Trust God’ at least implies that we also re-order our own practices so that they fit closer to God’s vision of what a human community is supposed to look like. As many Christians speak boldly about how others should organize their bedroom life (their sex life), they are often silent about how God has clearly spoken about our economic life. I’m guessing that both of these realities (our economies and our bedrooms) will remain terrifyingly out of control unless we submit our practices to the wisdom and beauty of God’s truth in Jesus Christ.