Straight Talk About Y2K

A few months ago I surveyed my personal e-mail list regarding the Y2K computer bug. A quick scan of more than 100 responses revealed a fairly even split between those who think Y2K will cause little or no disruption and those who believe the potential problem will be greater than that. I heard from many people who work in the computer field and from a sizable number who are currently addressing the Y2K problem in their own companies. How serious will the problem be? There is no uniform answer to that question from the survey. Some people used the word “minimal,” while others spoke of serious disruptions in communication, utilities, and the food supply.

Personally I tend toward the “hope for the best, but expect something less than that” position. I certainly do believe that the billions of dollars already spent and the millions of people working on the problem have made significant progress in solving the problem. At the same time, its also clear that there will be some problems in some places in January 2000. Exactly where those problems will crop up and how big they will be no one can say with certainty.

Recently Calvarys elders released a position paper on Y2K. Copies are available in the Resource Center or you can access it through our website at www.cmcop.org. We believe that no one should panic or take extreme measures, such as selling your home and moving to the country. On the other hand, it is entirely biblical to take prudent steps to prepare for the future (see Proverbs 6:6-8).

Here are four things you can do that are not radical in any sense.

1) Make hard copies of all your important financial

and legal documents.

2) Get out of debt as much as possible.

3) Have some extra cash on hand.

4) Set aside some extra food and water.

Beyond that, I think its critical that Christians be prepared to share what we have with others around us. God has not called us to a “bunker mentality” where we say “Us four and no more.” If God is God today, he will still be God on January 1, 2000.

It is also good to recall that nothing can happen because of Y2K that is not already happening in Third World countries every day of the year. If hard times do come to America, it may be the hand of God weaning us away from our love of prosperity and our worship of technology so that we can love the Lord with undivided hearts.

As Christians, we know the future is in Gods hands. Since he has promised to give us what we need, we can trust him with tomorrow. Fear not. If our computers go down, God is still on the throne.