“War is a defeat for humanity.” Pope John Paul II
As we grieve the violence in Eastern Europe and pray for Ukraine’s deliverance, it would be easy to assume this war’s suffering will remain foreign to our small, Texas town. Images of children sheltering in basements and homes burning move us to empathy, but rightly feel half-a-world away. We feel insulated in the heartland of the Unites States, safe from the devastation of this invasion.
And yet, John Paul was right. War anywhere is a defeat for humanity everywhere because, in this globally connected world, all suffering spreads. And sadly, it tends to hurt the most vulnerable far worse than it hurts the rest of us. At the moment, the expansion of suffering comes primarily in the form of rapidly rising prices for essential goods. According to the World Bank, the war has already driven up the price of wheat 67% over just the last month, which is not a surprise as Russia and Ukraine produce more than a quarter of the world’s wheat supply. Corn has likewise risen 26% so far in 2022. And the staple everyone’s talking about, gasoline, continues to reach shocking prices per gallon. Let’s look at this one in detail.
Crude oil closed at $123.70 per barrel yesterday, from $92.81 on the day of the invasion. That’s a 33% increase in less than two weeks! Gasoline has risen 13% in just the last month, and crested the $4 per gallon nationwide average for regular unleaded. It is likely to keep rising, with many expecting $5 or more per gallon in the near future. But what does that actually mean to a family’s monthly budget?
Based on 2019 data, the average Texan drives 16,171 miles per year, and the average fuel economy of their vehicle is 24.9 miles per gallon. That equates to 1,348 miles driven per month and 54.12 gallons of gasoline purchased per month. One year ago, the average price of a gallon of unleaded in Texas was $2.509, meaning the average Texan spent $135.79 per month in fuel. As of today (3/9/22), regular gasoline per gallon in Texas had risen to $3.93, meaning this average Texan is spending $212.69 on fuel per month, or $76.90 more per month than a year ago. If gas continues to rise to $5 per gallon, that monthly expense will grow to $270.60, or $134.81 more than a year ago.
So here’s the problem. Most of us in the middle class can absorb this price increase through small reductions in discretionary spending. We can eat our a few less times per month, reduce our clothing or entertainment expenses, or forgo a vacation. But for low-wage families in our town, there is no fat to trim. For most of our OnRamp families, the primary goal we helped them set was to build up their savings by starting to auto-deposit $50 per month in their bank account. That’s gone! Wiped out in one month! And they still have to find another $23 per month on top of that. If gasoline rises to $5 per gallon, they’ll be deep into the red every month. For low wage families, these war-induced cost increases present a significant hardship.
What do we do with that knowledge? I think first, we pray for God to end this war rapidly! I am with Martin Luther King Jr who said, “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.” So I pray for the peace and love of God to invade the hearts of the invaders to such an extent that they drop their weapons and go home. I am not praying for the death of Putin, I am praying for something much greater: his redemption from pride and evil.
Second, we who are privileged to live in the middle or upper classes need to be preparing now to radically and sacrificially support those who do not enjoy this privilege. I encourage you to be looking for families and individuals in town who are struggling to afford basic food and fuel. Give to the Food Bank and Church Pantries as they provide vital food security to the needy. Give to St Vincent De Paul in Bryan as they help the vulnerable with rent and utility payments. If you’d like to give to OnRamp, send us gas cards we can mail to existing clients suffering from fuel price increases. We’ll get your cards into good hands.
There’s a story about a young girl who was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!” The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference for that one!”
You and I cannot save every person in our community, much less the world, suffering the effects of this unjust war. But we can save one family from going hungry or losing their home or losing a job because they can’t afford to fuel their car. We can all do something to help someone in need. This is the way.