If the "Mid-City" economic indicator (the number of people through our line), an index that has successfully predicted upturns and downturns in the San Diego economy, reached an all-time low this week. Tuesday 480 passed through the line; Thursday morning, 370; this morning 630. Weeks total: 1480 -- about 15% the highest weeks total that we have had. Meanwhile persons in the multicongregation and the English congregation are losing jobs. The Samoan congregation has been especially hard hit with the drying up of skilled construction jobs that many work. Tuesday night at the Bread of Life downtown at the Salvation Army, I prayed for Promise, a four day old little girl that her mother brought to the meal. The poignancy of that moment and the mother's faith deeply moved me. My guess is that the City Heights micro-economy will continue to unwind until tourism picks up around Spring break. The wider economy is tied to the continual drop of housing prices.

Ironically, the shortfall in city incomes and the horrible economy seems to have improved in some ways the life of those on the street. Without concern of the city to lose tourist dollars, those sleeping outside seem to suffer less disruptions or ticketings. Businesses are closing downtown as people are not as plentiful in the new condos as anticipated and businesses fall back from sending persons to the hotels and conventions. More space comes open for the poor. Day labor is less available, but people here have long learned to live with sparse economic resources. The recession/depression is nothing new; they have the skills to survive in economic conditions that scare the rest of us.

The depth of the recession has humbled me. How does one engage in productive labor if no market exists to compensate you for your work? Does that mean we need first to build markets? What seems evident to me is that unless one builds a strong middle class within a society, one submits to a bubble economy of assets moving from the "latest great opportunity for high return" to the next after the bubble bursts. All I am certain is that Christians are called to engage in the works of mercy. Even this week the labor force from the congregation has been sparse. We always survive, but those present find themselves stretched or others step into the space to help the congregation to do its work even when it is absent. We serve a mysterious God, who is faithful.