Editor's note: Judy Fletcher begins her twelfth year as Synod of the Sun Executive and says she "still loves it and you."

The times are... what?

How would you finish that sentence? Really, what would you say?

Scary, sad, chaotic, in crisis, challenging? I hope you are not thinking "hopeless."

For the record, I am using the word crisis.

I've learned that the often misinterpreted Chinese characters for crisis don't really mean danger plus opportunity. A more accurate interpretation is danger plus crucial point. So, crisis is a critical moment in time which I believe calls to action.

Crisis occurs when older adults lose more than one-third of their retirement funds, when young families lose their jobs with no fallback plan, and when the sheer magnitude of global problems astounds and bewilders us.

I do not want to be naïve about the situation, but I would like for us to take a moment to focus on actions we might take in these critical times. Here is my take on a few:

Put losses in perspective

Most of us have not lost our homes or possessions. My son Brett broke his leg when he was two. I was terribly upset for days. Then I remembered there were so many families who would long to be in our place instead of facing their child's life-threatening disease.

Lord, help us remember that we still have so many blessings in this life. Help us see this as a time to count or recount them. Amen.

Lessen our dependence on "stuff"

Recycling makes a difference. So does living on less. Are we willing to look at how we contribute to rampant consumerism? I remember how friends and family showered our son. I can still see him carrying around not just a few stuffed animals, but a whole armload of Snoopy dolls. I have often wondered if we look like that to God when we turn to God in prayer - clinging to our stuff.

Lord, help us readjust our priorities to the end that our lives demonstrate that we know when enough is really enough. Help us live with an awareness that, while we love our lovely things, true happiness involves remembering all the intangibles that give meaning and depth to our lives. Amen.

We can be a small part of the solution

We can focus on those who do not have homes to lose or food to eat, those who are the "have-nots" in our towns and in this world. This is not a time for thinking about ourselves over those who need our help just to live from day to day. Christians often give more to church and church institutions in difficult times. Are we willing to make that commitment now?

Lord, let us show by our actions that we do remember the needs of others. Help us to recommit to sharing with people in need, especially those helped by One Great Hour of Sharing. Amen.

These are challenging and difficult times, but we can listen for a call to action. As people of God, we make a difference. Friends, let's enter into conversations and prayers in our families, with our friends, and in our churches about specific things we can do individually and collectively.

To do nothing is a decision not to act. It adds to the problem and can prompt us to feel like victims who can't see how to respond in caring ways.

You are people who care deeply about life, God, and the church of Jesus Christ. Instead of feeling guilty for what we still have, let us be found guilty of multi–faceted acts of kindness and compassion in these times of crisis.

Shalom/Salaam,

Judy

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