Article January 24, 2005 Issue

a revised economic outlook—blessing one and all

Rosalie Dunbar with contributions from PAMELA FAATZ

As global economies become more interconnected, what happens in one country often affects others. In this conversation with PAMELA FAATZ, the Sentinel's Rosalie Dunbar asked for her spiritual views on globalization and other economic trends.

Through modern technology and communication, it's easy to keep an eye on what's happening around the world financially. But often people feel helpless when what's going on isn't good. I know you're a spiritually minded person. Do you think prayer can make a difference?

Definitely. Economics is called the "dismal science" because it seems so difficult to understand. There isn't a set of equations as there is in mathematics and physics that you can apply to get the same result each time. That's what's been so baffling to economists and policymakers over the years, and why the world economy seems to be such a perplexing issue. One statement from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures that I've found really helpful is where Mary Baker Eddy wrote, "... [Christian] Science knows no lapse from nor return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in which God and all that He creates are perfect and eternal, to have remained unchanged in its eternal history" (p. 471). I think if you can accept that idea, then you realize that the economy, just as much as anything else in life, is part of the divine order and is being divinely controlled. So there don't have to be these periods of adjustment or dislocation or disequilibrium, as economists would call it.

About the author

Pamela Faatz worked for CNBC television as a field producer for The Wall Street Journal Report, where she covered news and developments in business and the economy, including the United States labor market. Since then she has held positions in corporate communications for several major companies, including a Fortune 200 firm with overseas operations in more than 30 countries. She holds a Master of International Affairs degree with a concentration in international economics and finance from Columbia University.

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