The Problems in Greece Today ...

Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012. In today's news we saw Greek people raging against the international pressure to lower salaries and to open the labor market. They were really furious, speaking and acting against those who seem to try to destroy their country.

What do you believe in the news? …

It is really difficult to judge what is true in the middle of a conflict. The difficulties from the Greek budget seem to come from the structure of institutions. Too much money has been spent over the years (as almost everywhere in the world!). Now, expenses are out of control - and the international fight seems to be about how to resolve the situation. I love Greece and the Greek people. I have been in Athens and other places many times. And it hurts, when I see this situation!

But who is responsible for what? The European Union tried to get some kind of control into all of this. But there seems to be no-one who can control Greek expenses currently, not even its own government or its own people. Is it the EU who is now destroying the country? Is it the government in Greece or in Brussels? Or is it the whole administrative structure in Greece itself? When you are in a recession, it is extremely hard to get out of it anyway! So we should be careful with quick recriminations!

Where do we get reliable information about what is going on? The Greek government has been lying about its finances for years. Whom to believe now? It is really difficult - how can we act in full trust towards the people of Greece? How can Greece recover and restore trust towards itself and the countries around it? Here, the media play a key role, but they need to use truth and full clear information about the situation on all layers.

Biblical guidance …

What do the Old and the New Testament tell us about situations like this? First, it tells us that lies do not work. Lies destroy, and a good part of the current situation has been caused by lying, lying again and again and again. Even now, there is no clear line of truth visible in the international media. The strikes seem to be about ideology rather than any clear way to resolve the situation.

Second, it tells us that help needs to be offered in a way which fully keeps the dignity of all people involved. That also includes to insist on sustainable solutions. It means that a lot of talks are needed, that all sides need to sit together and find a realistic path out of the dilemma. It also means of course that problems need to be addressed and resolved.

Of course, the New Testament also points to God himself, to his interaction with human history, to the power of prayer and of discipleship. That also includes repentance from ways which have been wrong. As a Christian, repentance is a very positive action, since it restores trust. It means that all problems are put onto the table, into the light of God. We do not need to fear problems, but with him we can study and resolve them! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts