By Mary Beth Marino

Advent…the season of giving, sharing and loving. It is the season when people all over the world reach the pinnacle of peace and unity.

As the Christmas season approaches, wishes of “peace on earth, good will, and season’s greetings” are extended.

It’s the season when people will take that extra step and reach out to feed the poor or shelter the homeless or even play Secret Santa to those children who would have not Christmas otherwise.

It’s the season of preparation for the birth of Christ. And it’s a season to be reminded of the simple meaning of Christmas, not the commercialized version of gift giving.

Though much controversy has been stirred by the first draft of the bishops’ pastoral letter on the economy, “Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy,” the purpose and message are perhaps timely for this holiday season.

The section of the pastoral letter addressing unemployment offers insights into the growing dilemma of the unemployed and how it is affecting many families.

The bishops write that creation of new jobs with adequate pay and decent working conditions must become a top priority for economic policy. They further state that at the end of September 1984 there were 8.5 million people in the United States looking for a job.

The Georgia Department of Labor reports that in September 1983, there were 186,464 (6.8 percent) unemployed in Georgia. In September 1984, 162,411 (5.8 percent) are unemployed. The statistics do not indicate much improvement. Presently, there are 2,651,996 who are employed versus 2,547,178 who were employed in 1983.

Who are the unemployed? The bishops’ letter indicates that the majority are blacks, Hispanics, the young and women who are also heads of households. Many who are jobless are not even counted in Labor Department statistics because they are still trying to enter the job market for the first time.

Teenagers fill more positions than in earlier years, and families now find it necessary to have two incomes to get by financially. Immigrants have also added to the size of the labor force. Career changes brought on by technology and modernization have also contributed to unemployment.

The pastoral letter states that “these demographic changes, however, cannot fully explain the higher levels of unemployment. Increases in population should generate more jobs if the need for goods and services they imply could be translated into effective demand.”

The letter further states that failure to invest sufficiently in certain industries and regions, the inability to cope with energy-price shocks, and inadequate educational and training programs as well as job discrimination against women, all add to the unemployment rate.

The various reflections on the causes of unemployment show there is no one major cause, nor will there be a single cure for unemployment.

In a more practical way, if we look at a middle-income family that has been affected by the tragedy of unemployment, perhaps it will shed light on what the pastoral letter is trying to convey.

Bob and Mary Gibson, parishioners of Corpus Christi in Stone Mountain, have been married for over 20 years. They have two children, Kathy, 19 and Jim, 18.

Bob worked for a large corporation for twenty-two years. His experience qualified him for a position in marketing support for computer software and hardware. It was a good job that paid well and offered good benefits.

The Gibsons’ did not live a life of luxury, but enjoyed a typical middle-income lifestyle.

Mary was a housewife who loved doing volunteer work, spending time with her children and enjoying part-time work at the elementary school her children attended.

Bob and Mary have a nice home in Stone Mountain with a warm and loving atmosphere. A cozy fire reflected the warmth of this home as Bob and Mary sat in their easy chairs ready to share their story.

“After twenty-two years the company just phased out my area,” Bob said in a quiet voice.

At first, though shocked, the Gibsons’ did not panic. They felt they would be financially situated for about six months with the little savings they had, and they would tighten their belts a little. There would be plenty of time for Bob to find a new job.

“I specifically remember something that happened the day I lost my job,” Bob recalled.

Apparently, the couple had decided to put their camper up for sale prior to Bob losing his job.

The camper had been up for sale for several months, but were no offers made, and very few people looked at it, Bob said.

But the day Bob received word he had lost his job, someone looked at the camper, made them an offer, and bought it the same day.

“It was like the Lord was sending us a message,” Mary said. “He was saying, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you, everything will be alright.’”

Bob started to look for work but couldn’t find anything available in his field. Bob, who is 50 years old, was either over qualified for the positions, or the pay did not meet the pay scale he had worked for so many years to attain.

“I was finally offered a sales position and I decided to give it a try. I stayed at that position for 16 months. But it didn’t work out for the company (quota-wise) or me. I was not happy with the job and felt I had given it my best shot,” Bob explained. “I made some money for the company and I was bringing home a paycheck…but it just wasn’t working out for the company or me.” So, with a good record and an honest effort, Bob and the company mutually terminated the relationship.

But now, six months later, Bob is still out of work, the benefits have run out, and the Gibsons’ are feeling quite discouraged.

Mary now has a full-time position at a specialty dessert company. But the worry has just begun.

As the pastoral letter suggests, the mental strain that afflicts the unemployed has taken its toll on the Gibson family.

The pastoral letter says, “Unemployed parents often blame themselves for letting their families down. Unemployment can give rise to family quarrels…”

It further says, “already plagued by their own self doubts, persons out of work sometimes face the direct or implied criticism of other family members…”

“Sometimes the emotional churning has been almost unbearable,” Bob said in a quivering voice. “I was once looked upon as a professional with skills, now I’m back on the street again. If it weren’t for Mary and I having a good relationship and helping each other, it would have all fallen apart by now.”

“But we also struggled in our relationship,” Mary admitted honestly.

“I didn’t want a full-time job and I resented it. There were times when I walked in the door and even though Bob had done all the housework, checked into job possibilities, and had dinner waiting…I would feel angry if he was sitting watching T.V. What I was really feeling was that he was doing my job and I was doing his,” Mary said.

But the couple, who were active ministers in both Marriage Encounter and Engaged Encounter, knew what was necessary to keep their circumstances from ruining their relationship.

“We realized that we had to keep talking, even about the anger and resentment,” Mary said. They also had to talk about the kids and their disappointment at a new lifestyle that called for sacrifice. Katy had earned grants and scholarships to Notre Dame last. When those run out this year, Katy said she will drop out of school for a year and work if necessary to earn the money to go back. She is presently working to earn living money for this year. Jim, a senior in high school, worked two jobs last summer in an effort to help out and he hopes to go to college too in the fall.

But as the Gibsons’ were sharing their story, there was something that stood out beyond the sad circumstances that had shaken their lives.

“I have to tell you,” Mary said, “that we have learned an awful lot through this crisis. Our life is different now, and I think it will always be different, even when Bob finds a job.”

“We have found the difference between needs and wants,” she explained. “We find that when we lose sight of those priorities we mess up.”

“If we only think about “when” that job is going to come, the self-doubts, fears and problems surface…but if we continue to think about what can we give each other, we are O.K.,” Bob added.

“God is trying to teach us something,” Bob said. He further concluded that perhaps it was the lifestyle that was supposed to change along with his job. His attitude about the salary scale has been modified. He feels that perhaps now he doesn’t need the pay scale he originally felt he required.

Even in the depths of despair and fear, the Gibsons’ have found strength and hope. If there were a serious illness that would require a hospital stay, in two weeks’ time they would financially be doomed. But they talk about how much love they have for one another and how supportive their family and friends have been. They talk about their fears, their change of priorities and what this crisis has taught them. They speak of having little self-worth but they have each other, and, to them, that is what matters right now.

And again referring to the pastoral message, the Gibson family and their courageous display in sharing their personal story is described in the words of Paul VI to all religious men and women: “You must give witness in their midst, through prayer and action, to the good news of love, justice and peace. The aspirations of men to a more fraternal life among individuals and nations requires above all a change in ways of living, in mentality and in heart.”

So in this season of Advent, there is an opportunity to look at the priority of the material needs of families. It is, perhaps, time to reassess the values of “needing and wanting.”

It is the perfect time to reach out to the unemployed and offer assistance and support. Or perhaps it’s the time to offer them a job or a prospect for one.

But the wish for the Advent season can best be quoted from the pastoral letter…”We wish, in the end, to go beyond the need to create a world in which economic justice abounds: We seek to be a part of a world where love and friendship among all citizens of the globe becomes the primary goal of all. In this love and friendship God is glorified and God’s grandeur revealed.”