The god of the market

Why is it that people who praise downsizing for its salubrious effect on the economy are invariably people in no danger of being downsized themselves? The market is now our supreme power. It is a god that requires human sacrifices to keep it pacified.

Russell Baker: The Market God. First published in the New York Times in March, 1996, but extraordinarily relevant to the current financial climate. The whole op-ed piece is worth reading for its wisdom in regard to the Wall Street mentality.

Reinventing Paradise

Reinventing Paradise: How New Zealand is starting to earn a bigger, sustainable living in the world economy. Writeen by Rod Oram. 298pp. Penguin, NZ. $35.00 (Available in most bookshops, though this Epworth price is a little cheaper than some regular shops)

In this accessible and fascinating collection of columns, Oram reveals how New Zealand has fared so far in the global market, the unique challenges that lie ahead, and the opportunities for us to earn a bigger, better, more sustainable living.

Oram is known for his direct and prescriptive commentary and for his ability to make complex concepts understandable to the average reader or listener.

This isn't a book about the Christian view of things, but it's worth checking out for its general perspective on New Zealand.

More from Tim Keel

Two more quotes from Mr Keel, and then I'll give him a rest:

I am discovering that our postmodern world is consumed with questions of creation—even if they are not framed that way explicitly. We can hear these questions whenever our contemporaries ask, "What does it mean to be human, especially as more and more of life is influenced by and even dependent on technology?" "How do we understand gender and sexuality and how both are expressed?" "How do we live in an ecologically responsible way?" "How might a just economy function sustainably?" Have you had these conversations? Have you talked to the teenagers among you who are verbalizing these concerns? These are the questions our culture is wrestling with.

People are not asking the traditional gospel question much anymore. Asking, "If I died tomorrow, where would I end up?" does not generate much life. But asking people, "If you had just a few years left, what kind of life would you want to live?" generates enormous energy. It is a question of hope, something our balkanized world sorely needs.