Runnin' On Empty

The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you." When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world. (Genesis 41:53-57)

The oil crisis is a daily headline. Economists predict $5 a gallon gas by Labor Day 2008. American Airlines recently announced it would now charge for any checked bag to offset skyrocketing jet fuel prices. The trucking industry is on the verge of catastrophe, pushing up the prices of food and other grocery items. The restaurant business is hurting as patrons choose fuel over a frivolous meal on the town. When people don’t eat out, they also stay home and that impacts the retail industry.

Globally, it’s no better. Most countries pay even higher for fuel. In Great Britain, the price of gas is nearly $10 a gallon. China’s recent economic boom has reinvented their transportation habits from bicycles to motors—further stealing gas reserves away from other civilized countries. Only oil-rich Saudi Arabia (where gas remains a paltry .45 a gallon!) seems exempt. Everyone wants Saudi oil and they’re willing to pay big bucks a barrel to get it.

Four thousand years ago, the commodity of choice wasn’t oil but grain. Wheat and barley was the gas and diesel of Joseph’s day. Because of his divine foreknowledge about a coming famine, Joseph secured Egypt’s fragile economy to withstand seven years of crisis. In years of fat production, he wisely stored vast reservoirs of grain. In hindsight, his leadership and vision was inspiring. It makes perfect sense if you knew a famine was on the horizon. And yet I suspect Joseph’s economic plan probably met stiff resistance and criticism in his day. Wheat was abundant. Corn was plentiful. Barley was bountiful. Social commentators surely criticized Joseph’s work as greed and maybe corruption. “Do we really need another silo of grain? When is enough enough?” “Egypt’s economics are tied to a half-witted Hebrew with a shady past.” “Joseph’s pyramid scheme is only making the rich richer.”

Of course, once the famine blew into town, Joseph’s silos saved Egypt. A vast reservoir of grain became an economic boon for Pharaoh as nations paid premium prices for Egyptian grain (while the local natives enjoyed, presumably, a cut-rate, low-ball deal). The famine actually made Egypt stronger and more influential.

Fast forward to today’s world. America’s dependence on foreign oil has crippled our economy and we have no one to blame but ourselves. In the past quarter century we moved from an exporter to importer. We buy more than we sell. Perhaps, we need to rip a page from Joseph’s book and begin to invest in our own rich natural resources. We need to silo energy (like sun, wind and water) to power our 21st century economy. The web will surely become the boardroom and desktop as more businesses recognize the economic value of work-at-home situations. We just need to think and act differently.

Recent American generations have also lived too well, above our means, and beyond an affordable lifestyle. Most of us live in debt to a bank and survive paycheck to paycheck. Greed greases our economy and when we don’t buy, everything suffers.

We have no idea how long this oil crisis will last, but what we need are a few Josephs to silo our financial future and free us from economic tyranny.

Maybe that will be you, or even me. So dare to dream!

NOTABLE QUOTABLES ON CRISIS:

Crises refine life. In them you discover what you are. (Allan K. Chalmers)

Close scrutiny will show that most "crisis situations" are opportunities to either advance, or stay where you are. (Maxwell Maltz)

These are the times that try men's souls. (Thomas Paine)

Man is not imprisoned by habit. Great changes in him can be wrought by crisis--once that crisis can be recognized and understood. (Norman Cousins)

When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters--one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity. (John F. Kennedy)

Father, in times of famine its easy for our fears to guide our choices. Give us strength to stand against our trial, creativity to engineer new opportunities, and wisdom to discover new remedies and resources. We know You hold our planet in Your Hands and so we simply trust You to provide and protect us during our crises. Amen.