Alliance.ca: Although the Bible says nothing explicit about subprime loans, what does it have to say about such a crisis as we now face?

Dr. Franklin Pyles: Perhaps the parable of the rich man who was satisfied with all that he had accomplished, who filled his barns and then decided to tear them down and build bigger ones, but who ignored the poor, opens the door for our thinking. The issue was not that he was successful but that he was successful for himself alone. This is highlighted by the words he uses when he talks to himself. 'I' dominates the talk, and then he tells himself to - eat, drink and be merry." Here is a man who feels that what he has accomplished in life entitles him to fulfill every desire.

Across the world millions of people have been working hard at jobs, inventing new products, designing and marketing new concepts, and in so doing, they have created a world market that has lifted more people above the poverty line than at any time in history - all to be celebrated. But, cold, evil greed enters as the uninvited guest at the banquet, ruining the party.

Greed showed itself as borrowing more than could be afforded, based on the false hope that the economy would forever expand without limits, and in the willingness of economic leaders to place their companies, their stockholders, and ultimately the world, at risk for short term gain, not to mention the gradual but real ruination of the environment.

We, like the rich man, have been foolish because we have made ourselves the centre of everything. The jobs, the good times, sometimes even mission trips, seem designed to answer one question: 'what will I get out of it?' Self-fulfillment and self-esteem have been the watchwords with no expense seemingly too great to guarantee them. Now our greed and avarice have come back to bite us.

And so we should remember that when the proud rich man patted himself on the back God said to him 'thou fool.' Perhaps we can hear this voice of God echoing through the daily TSX averages.

A.ca: What alternatives are there to the self-centered lifestyle?

FP: Christians are not going to live in a different economic system than everyone else; they are going to earn their living the same way that their neighbour earns her living. However, Christians can lead the way in change. I think the concern about the environment is a good example of how change can come about. Gradually people have come to the realization that cost effectiveness cannot be the only consideration in making a choice between various models of energy production.

In the same way, we should earn money in order to live in a dignified but modest manner. We should care for our family, but also be sure to help in caring for families around the world. We should care for our local church, but also be generous in supporting the church around the world.

A.ca: How can we move from anxiety and fear to focus on the abundance of God?

Dependence on our Father in heaven must be a habit of the heart. One of the benefits of tithing is to acknowledge that what we have is not our own, it is given to us to use wisely. And a benefit of giving thanks is to acknowledge that, hour by hour, it is the Lord who provides as a gift what we need to live, that neither our wage nor our food is owed to us.

So perhaps the way out of fear and anxiety lies through our being generous and being thankful. During the Great Depression, many families helped others in any way they could. And Christians continued to give to their church and support missions. In fact, it was during the 30?s that we, as an Alliance, pushed into new territory. People continued to believe their lives were not summed up by the 'bottom line,' and so they continued to experience joy.

Peter White is an independent communication, media and adult education consultant