Marginal Softness

May 21, 2026

A few months ago, Brian Long at Grand Valley State University issued a report that said the West Michigan economy is “marginally soft.” Wait, keep reading, we aren’t writing about the economy! We want to talk about that phrase.  

A marginally soft economy means things aren’t really collapsing and falling apart, but it also means there’s no real growth or excitement. And the truth is, marginally soft might be a good way to describe living in West Michigan right now.  Many of us are experiencing higher prices, making life a little harder.  We might also not be getting the raises we hoped for, which would help us navigate it better.  Maybe in our relationships, we feel the pressure from years of working hard and being nice, but we don’t feel the security and hope of thriving relationships. 

Our personal bank accounts, our friendships, our families, and even our marriages can go through seasons of being “marginally soft.” These things can feel sluggish, somewhat empty, but not really falling apart.  

In some ways, this can feel harder than if they were falling apart.  

When things get especially difficult, we get the adrenaline of getting to work to fix it. There is an urgency that propels us forward.  When things feel marginally soft, we just wander through like zombies, investing our time in mundane activities like scrolling reels until our minds melt from the inside out.  

There is pressure to perform on the outside while we slowly decay from the inside.  

At Corinth, we want to name that.  We want to be a safe place where you can be honest about the pain of life, but we don’t want to stop there.  We don’t want to stay there and accept that life can sometimes feel marginally soft.  We want to encourage one another to find flourishing. 

Corinth is a place that takes human flourishing seriously.  

Jesus said he came that we might have life and have it abundantly.  An abundant life is a flourishing life. But this life only comes from Jesus and his people.  We need each other.  

If you are not part of our community, but long for a place where you can be known and welcomed, and also urged to find the flourishing that Jesus came to offer, we invite you to step in.  Join us, come and be known. 

If Corinth is your home, consider what it might look like for you to step out of the crowd and into real connection. We would love to hear the story of how God is helping you to flourish. And as you grow in relationship, don’t forget that our job is also to step into the world around us and help bring flourishing to our friends and neighbors.

The abundant life of Jesus is the only hopeful answer to the pain of living in a marginally soft world.  

Jared & Jason