UPFRONT April 20, 2009 Issue

HOPEFUL TONES

STEVE GRAHAM, MANAGING EDITOR JOURNAL, SENTINEL, HERALD

Riding the economic roller coaster over the past year or so, we've all watched the markets fluctuate wildly and received a glut of financial news that's been better one moment and worse the next, that's sometimes confirmed the experts' predictions and other times confounded it. Dollar amounts have been routinely spoken of in terms of trillions. There has been a steady stream of stories about outrageous corporate bonuses, bailouts, and bankruptcies. In short, a world economy in crisis has dominated the headlines for months.

But of late, people have ventured to speak in slightly more hopeful tones. To be sure, there's still plenty of caution. But also, glimmers of optimism have begun to break through. One recent Christian Science Monitor article, citing various signs of an improving economy, reported that if indeed the rate of economic decline is diminishing, as some feel is the case, "it could mean the longest recession in US history is beginning to bottom out" (March 18, p. 1).

This magazine has made the ongoing commitment to discussing the prayer that will help the economy. And while nobody is saying things are out of the woods yet, we rejoice in every sign of progress. We believe that the efforts of Sentinel readers and writers to embrace these issues in the light of prayer and spiritual understanding has had, and will continue to have, a profound impact on the economic well-being of individuals, as well as on their families and communities and nations.

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