Daily, it seems, we hear reports of how the economy is improving; the Dow Jones Industrials have crossed the ten thousand mark, the banks are returning the government bailout money and are earning record profits. Even the jobless picture seems to be improving; less people filing for unemployment this month than last. Economists tell us that a bullish stock market is a “leading economic indicator” of good times to come. Calling this a “jobless recovery” strikes me as oxymoronic at best, and deeply insulting at worst. To the many thousands who have lost their jobs this holiday season and the many more who are desperately trying to find paying, much less meaningful work, talk of a “recovery” must seem out of touch and deluded. Can there really be a recovery if people don’t have the jobs needed to pay their bills and keep their homes? Sure, those of us fortunate to have investments are seeing a slight rebound, but can there be any real value in this economy until people are back at work and caring for their families with dignity and promise?
Measuring a recovery from the bottom line is poor economics. The human cost to this Great Recession is far greater than how far our portfolios have fallen. Divorces are on the rise, people are depressed and our state budget, so deeply dependent on taxes generated from economic growth, is unable to help the many who need it most.
What we need in this New Year is a recovery of the human spirit. What we need to be looking and working towards are the “leading human indicators” that our world will not only recover from this fall but grow in deeper and more meaningful ways than how much we consume. What would some of those human indicators look like? Well, some are already evident. Communities are reaching out to those in need. Not the governments of communities but communities of people united in a faith for a new beginning. This kind of recovery isn’t measurable by domestic output. It shows up in more subtle ways and is often deeply personal. Religious communities, especially, have seen both an increase in attendance but also an increase in giving to meet the needs of those amongst us who are most in need. We have a long way to go but it is a start. Volunteering to help, whether in a community of faith or in the many secular organizations dedicated to compassion would be another indicator that we are moving on. Feeding the hungry, helping a child to read, answering a help line, are all indicators of a real recovery.
I believe that a rebound in the arts might be another sign that we have grown from this crisis. It’s tempting to measure productivity by what we make or build or consume, but there is a deeper economic vitality in celebrating what makes us human. When we support every form of art again, just because it feeds our souls, we will be well on our way to a deeper recovery. Jobs will be created and the Holiness of what is beautiful in this world will be reclaimed.
As we begin this New Year, let us do so with a deeper hope that our wealth will expand in ways not measured by economists. There are other economies besides the monetary; the barter between friends, the care we show our neighbors that they may one day return to us, and the deep satisfaction that comes from helping another in the name of all that is Holy and good. May this be the year of a deeper good, a new beginning of hope and promise.
With Grace and Grit, John
