Postcards from the Funny Farm

This is an opinion piece that includes religion.  I want to make clear that I value each of my individual readers and I hold no judgment against any chosen belief structure out there.  If you read this blog, you are intelligent.  If anything in this post offends someone out there, please disregard it.  The normally scheduled psych/inspire stuff will return tomorrow.

One wealthy friend has lost over 100 grand in the stock market.  Other family members have frantically pulled their money out in fear.  Every day I read on Yahoo! news that the market has plunged another 7-800 points.  these are records since the great depression.  I have no money in the stock market, but if I did I think I would let it sit.  Unofrtunately, no one is doing that.  It is a mob mentality like a playground fight.  One kid takes a swing at another, then the mob comes in shouting “fight fight fight.”

Before you know it it’s a brawl like you never imagined.  People are giving up on America the same way.  We have some friends who have started a “Bible Study” of which the curriculum consists of guilt tactics to get people to go to church.  Let me be very clear that this is not my sort of curriculum.  My personal belief is that God is not concerned if you go to church.  However,  I will tell you I live by a strong backbone of the Christian faith I was raised in.  I don’t go to church much these days and I rarely read the bible but I know what it says quite well.  In times like these when the world is crumbling around us I hold on to one mantra (I’ll modify it for civil/non-religious folks and then give the one I use as a Christian):

Civil: Be still.

What we all can do about the mob mentailty of pulling out of the stock market is to be still.  I think most people would agree there are some great mantras in the bible, whether or not you profess to follow it in its entirety.

Religious: Be still and know that God is God

When a relative or friend calls you today expressing fear and panic about the mess we are in, be still.  This too shall pass.  In the end, the mob will be injured or dead … your peace of mind will be intact and God will still be God.  I’ve said a lot here, your thoughts are more than welcome.