Shortages? What shortages?

 

During our visit to the UK last week we were amazed by the long queues at petrol stations and the empty shelves in some shops. It seems that panic buying has a lot to answer for, but the underlying problems are more complicated than that. The aftermath of Brexit followed swiftly by the pandemic has disrupted supply chains across Europe, and certainly in the UK. So we see troops driving tankers instead of tanks, and 80 year-olds being begged by the government to drive heavy goods vehicles again! You couldn't make it up!

Apparently it doesn't take much disruption to affect supply chains. A container ship stuck in the Suez Canal for a few days was a big part of all this. Yet, if it wasn't for our human tendency to panic and hoard, a lot of this pressure would be a great deal more manageable. What lies behind this feature of modern life?

Well, fear has a lot to do with it. The fear that what I want, or even what I need, might not be available or perhaps affordable in the future, leads to panic buying. Fear is a powerful force, and as we saw in the early stages of the pandemic, can affect human behaviour in profound ways. Some are positive, like the fear that makes us aware of speeding traffic around us, or a threat posed by hostile groups of young men as we walk about. But fear can also paralyse us, or drive us to irrational actions such as panic-buying or hoarding. In certain circumstances fear can rob us of joy and peace, even causing distressing symptoms in our bodies and minds.

It is for these reasons that he Bible says so much about fear. Some people say there are 366 'don't be afraid' phrases in the Bible - one for every day and one more for a leap year! Jesus spoke about fear a lot, urging his followers to try and let go of anxiety about having whatever they need. Here's a sample, taken from Matthew chapter 6;  “What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met".

Living with a bit of trust in that kind of relationship with God should surely help us to avoid panic. St Paul had lots to worry about, yet whilst languishing in a Roman prison he wrote "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:19). No shortages there then, and no blinding fear either. Handing our lives and our future over to a loving heavenly Father makes so much sense in a world of increasing uncertainty.