Interdependency

We had these mugs when I was growing up!

Wow, amazing how interdependent our world has become in just a couple of generations of humans!  I was thinking more about that today as I sat through a talk from a chemical supplier.  He was explaining how the whole "melamine in pet food" debacle came to be (he didn't bring up the infant formula and chocolate coin candies) and how it's affected nearly every industry world wide since.  I hadn't thought about that in some time, but the bottom line is that companies world wide have been and continue going to China for all sorts of products due to cost.  Pet food, baby formula and chocolate candy coins were just a few of the products that ended up killing pets and people a few years ago.   Problem is, the quality controls in China are almost non-existent and the corruption is rampant - makes for a bad combination.  Turns out melamine is a plentiful by-product of plastics production (as well as the component used to make Melmac - that kitchy 40's and 50's plastic dinnerware - see my mugs!).  Melamine is a cheap readily available component and while it makes for cute dinnerware it's not quite so benign when eaten (wonder if eating off of it did anything?).  Apparently, a component of melamine is nitrogen - and nitrogen is tested as an indicator of protein levels.  Melamine adulteration made the products look as though they had really great protein content at a very cheap price. Manufacturers jumped at it.  Sadly, the Chinese people themselves have been victimized by their less than scrupulous countrymen, as products like this are still sold in their country.

The ramifications of this are still spreading out.  We now see many industries (especially in the U.S.) digging in with heavy regulation and safeguards now to try to prevent this type of threat to the food chain and humans.  Melamine had even been found in feed given to animals raised for humans to eat.  This quick money scheme was just one wake up call displaying world vulnerabilities.

It got me to thinking again how very interdependent we are becoming.  Our world is smaller and smaller every day.  Bad choices made in China affect many all over the world directly.  Bad choices in one EU country affect all the others.  Bad choices in the U.S. affect markets everywhere.  We are becoming that smaller community faster than we realize.  Don't blink!

However, just as bad choices now rock our entire world overnight - good choices can too!!  That's the flip side of this deal.  I want to focus on the real opportunity here.  We are so interdependent that we can now affect the world (even as individuals) more quickly and amazingly than ever before!!!  Am I the only one who sees this?  I don't think I am. And, the one thing we have as the beloved in Christ is that we are empowered for good far beyond our ability to see.  God is moving in this time through His people to bring light, hope and transformation.  I am so glad to be placed in this time.  How many saint's of old looked with longing upon this time?!  I'm not saying we won't have struggles or challenges (this dark world will war with us), but God is in us!! How can we be anything but overjoyed?  Just looking at Him, who He is, His character and awe inspiring attributes and His heart for us and this world - His glory will stand blazing as a testimony!  I am only more and more encouraged.  My attitude for this year is one of "Over the top Optimism"!!  As my friend Laura said not long ago, "I'm obnoxiously hopeful!"  I'm so with you Laura!

Take Jesus' hand and learn to trust Him surely and mightily, and you can be "Obnoxiously Hopeful" in interdependency too!