This past week, while I was in the process of securing foreign currency for an upcoming overseas mission trip, I noted with great interest a news report on National Public Radio about the financial woes of the African country of Zimbabwe. Dealing with 
runaway inflation that has severely decimated the nation’s economy and ridiculously devalued its currency, the national leadership in one fell swoop decided to simply eliminate 10 zeroes from all its hyper-inflated money! In other words, what one day was valued at $10,000,000,000 (ten BILLION dollars) was valued at $1 (one dollar) the next day. Whoa! That’s quite a free fall! (Gee, I wonder if I could get my bank to lop a few zeros off the outstanding balance on my mortgage. I wouldn’t mind a bit.)
runaway inflation that has severely decimated the nation’s economy and ridiculously devalued its currency, the national leadership in one fell swoop decided to simply eliminate 10 zeroes from all its hyper-inflated money! In other words, what one day was valued at $10,000,000,000 (ten BILLION dollars) was valued at $1 (one dollar) the next day. Whoa! That’s quite a free fall! (Gee, I wonder if I could get my bank to lop a few zeros off the outstanding balance on my mortgage. I wouldn’t mind a bit.) 
Interestingly, the move by the Zimbabwean government came just a week after it issued a brand new 100 billion dollar note. But this latest action of eliminating the zeroes came out of dire necessity. The unprecedented rate of inflation—an unbelievable 2 million % per year!—was hampering the country's computer systems. Computers, electronic 
calculators and automated teller machines at Zimbabwe’s banks could not handle transactions in billions and trillions of dollars. Plus, it had gotten to the point that the citizens of Zimbabwe—the few that had any money—literally had to carry armfuls of cash with them just to purchase basic necessities of life. A loaf of bread, for example, was recently priced at a $250 BILLION per loaf! Wow! That’s a lot of bread for bread, man! And sometimes we think we’ve got it bad here in the good ole USA!
Although the government of Zimbabwe is basically trying to wipe the slate clean and start over with its virtually worthless monetary system, economists say that this latest action only treats the symptoms rather than the illness and it will, in essence, do nothing to slow the nation’s stratospheric inflation rate.
As I traded US dollars for Euros this week, and noted how much less the dollar was worth against the Euro than it was two years ago (the last time I made a sizeable foreign currency exchange), I privately moaned over the dollar’s slide in value. But then, when I heard about Zimbabwe’s situation, I was grateful that we here in the States weren’t dealing with a problem like that.
When I think about inflation, the worst time in my memory was back in the late 1970s, during the Carter Administration. I worked in banking then and remember the double-digit inflation we all were dealing with at the time. The so-called “misery index”—unemployment rate plus inflation rate—in June 1980 reached its highest point in the 60-year span from 1948 to the present. If memory serves me well, prime real estate loan rates from respectable lending institutions shot up to loan shark territory—near the 20% mark. On the other hand money market CDs—not compact discs, but certificates of deposit—at one point were paying over 15%. (In other words, if you had money, you could tread water and stay above the inflation rate. But if you were in debt, you were really feeling the squeeze.) And on top of the then-12% annual inflation rate—kid stuff by current Zimbabwean standards—people really panicked when gasoline jumped up over a dollar a gallon!!! Hmm, it’s funny how your perspective on things can change over time.
Speaking of double-digit inflation, the other night Sandy & I went to a Danville Braves baseball game. They were playing the woeful Pulaski Mariners. Final score: Danville 21, Pulaski 2. Whoa! Three
touchdowns for the hometown heroes and a mere safety for the visiting squad! Some wise old sage in the stands said the D-Braves scored more runs that night—the first day of August—than they did for all their games in the whole month of July! Incredible! Actually, I think Pulaski’s pitching staff must have all been from Zimbabwe, because they seemed quite adept at letting numbers get out of hand.
Back to the point I was making—(whatever it was!)
When we think about issues like escalating inflation and currency devaluation, we’re reminded of how deeply economic woes can impact both individuals and nations.
In the spiritual realm, there are some parallels. When a culture begins to devalue the things that God values, there are some
corresponding rising costs that have to be paid. When we devalue human life, when we devalue human virtue, when we devalue holiness & righteousness, when we devalue obedience to God, when we devalue God Himself, the spiraling spiritual cost can become staggering. Like the burgeoning federal debt, sin takes its toll. We indeed pay a cost for it today, but we also bequeath its immense burden to the generations that follow us. As the Bible says, “the sins of the fathers visit the sons.” Thus, when a culture devalues the things of God, its up & coming generations ultimately pay the price. Not the least of which is because they themelves often buy into (and even advance) the perversions of their parents.
The problem is, when a nation gets in a spiritual mess like that—where everything is out of balance and out of control—there is no quick fix to the situation. We can’t simply “lop off a few zeroes” and go merrily along our way. It’s not that easy. When there has been a devaluing of God and an escalation in costly disobedience, we need a help from beyond ourselves to remedy the situation. We need a turning back to God. Confession...Repentance...Forgiveness...Restoration—those are the vital steps needed to begin to bring life back in balance again.
Pastor Danny
calculators and automated teller machines at Zimbabwe’s banks could not handle transactions in billions and trillions of dollars. Plus, it had gotten to the point that the citizens of Zimbabwe—the few that had any money—literally had to carry armfuls of cash with them just to purchase basic necessities of life. A loaf of bread, for example, was recently priced at a $250 BILLION per loaf! Wow! That’s a lot of bread for bread, man! And sometimes we think we’ve got it bad here in the good ole USA!
Although the government of Zimbabwe is basically trying to wipe the slate clean and start over with its virtually worthless monetary system, economists say that this latest action only treats the symptoms rather than the illness and it will, in essence, do nothing to slow the nation’s stratospheric inflation rate.
As I traded US dollars for Euros this week, and noted how much less the dollar was worth against the Euro than it was two years ago (the last time I made a sizeable foreign currency exchange), I privately moaned over the dollar’s slide in value. But then, when I heard about Zimbabwe’s situation, I was grateful that we here in the States weren’t dealing with a problem like that.When I think about inflation, the worst time in my memory was back in the late 1970s, during the Carter Administration. I worked in banking then and remember the double-digit inflation we all were dealing with at the time. The so-called “misery index”—unemployment rate plus inflation rate—in June 1980 reached its highest point in the 60-year span from 1948 to the present. If memory serves me well, prime real estate loan rates from respectable lending institutions shot up to loan shark territory—near the 20% mark. On the other hand money market CDs—not compact discs, but certificates of deposit—at one point were paying over 15%. (In other words, if you had money, you could tread water and stay above the inflation rate. But if you were in debt, you were really feeling the squeeze.) And on top of the then-12% annual inflation rate—kid stuff by current Zimbabwean standards—people really panicked when gasoline jumped up over a dollar a gallon!!! Hmm, it’s funny how your perspective on things can change over time.
Speaking of double-digit inflation, the other night Sandy & I went to a Danville Braves baseball game. They were playing the woeful Pulaski Mariners. Final score: Danville 21, Pulaski 2. Whoa! Three
touchdowns for the hometown heroes and a mere safety for the visiting squad! Some wise old sage in the stands said the D-Braves scored more runs that night—the first day of August—than they did for all their games in the whole month of July! Incredible! Actually, I think Pulaski’s pitching staff must have all been from Zimbabwe, because they seemed quite adept at letting numbers get out of hand.Back to the point I was making—(whatever it was!)
When we think about issues like escalating inflation and currency devaluation, we’re reminded of how deeply economic woes can impact both individuals and nations.
In the spiritual realm, there are some parallels. When a culture begins to devalue the things that God values, there are some
corresponding rising costs that have to be paid. When we devalue human life, when we devalue human virtue, when we devalue holiness & righteousness, when we devalue obedience to God, when we devalue God Himself, the spiraling spiritual cost can become staggering. Like the burgeoning federal debt, sin takes its toll. We indeed pay a cost for it today, but we also bequeath its immense burden to the generations that follow us. As the Bible says, “the sins of the fathers visit the sons.” Thus, when a culture devalues the things of God, its up & coming generations ultimately pay the price. Not the least of which is because they themelves often buy into (and even advance) the perversions of their parents.The problem is, when a nation gets in a spiritual mess like that—where everything is out of balance and out of control—there is no quick fix to the situation. We can’t simply “lop off a few zeroes” and go merrily along our way. It’s not that easy. When there has been a devaluing of God and an escalation in costly disobedience, we need a help from beyond ourselves to remedy the situation. We need a turning back to God. Confession...Repentance...Forgiveness...Restoration—those are the vital steps needed to begin to bring life back in balance again.
Pastor Danny
