Black Friday

A few thoughts about Black Friday:

·         To me at least, it represents unbridled consumerism at its most insidious and pathetic.

This is what Pope Francis had to say about consumerism and its effect on the human person: “Since the market tends to promote extreme consumerism in an effort to sell its products, people can easily get caught up in a whirlwind of needless buying and spending.” (Laudato Si, #58)

·         We must always remember that none of the products of consumerism can bring the lasting peace and happiness that every one of us never stops searching for.

·         I heard of a man who pitched his tent before one of the stores on Tuesday morning and lived there so that he could be the first in line when the stores finally opened for the big sales.

·         It has served to devalue family life. Family lives and traditions and customs, for many, are being neglected, curtailed or even overthrown by the new tradition of rushing to the stores at all hours of the day and night.

·         And what about its effect on young people these days. Again, I quote Pope Francis: They “have grown up in a milieu of extreme consumerism and affluence which makes it difficult to develop other habits. (Laudato Si, # 209)

·         It has further enslaved the men and women who work in retail, often giving them no choice but to leave their families to go and work the “machine.”

·         Some enjoy increased salaries, even as much as “double time and a half,” by going to work at 4 am on Friday. For the most part, these are people whose usual wages are usually so low that they need the increased income in order for them to be able to provide for their own families.

·         Thanksgiving Day and its observance is a unique moment in the life of the average American. When it supplanted by consumerism, what happens is that a cherished time which only occurs once a year is now taken over by the sort of activity that occurs on just about any other day of the year: shopping. How unique.

·         More time for rest and familial congress is eliminated, replaced by yet more frenetic activity.

·         The space for reflectiveness disappears in the lives of those who become victims to the New Order.

·         The very creation of the Black Friday concept was fueled by the insatiable greed of corporations.

·         Our humanity suffers for it, and when it gets taken away from us there is often little or no chance that we will ever get it back.

·         I was happy to read that a few establishments stood firm and did not participate in the overnight openings. Perhaps this is a sign of hope.

·         I am very happy to be in a monastery on this day. We enjoyed our community time right up to the end of Thursday, awoke on Friday for prayer, and have spent this day as a special day of rest and reflection. I wish everyone could have the opportunity to enjoy the same.

·         If you haven’t yet given in to the pull of Black Friday, please stand firm and do not let it corrupt your way of life.

·         If you have become of victim of Black Friday, I encourage you to see yourself as a victim and to examine closely the motivation behind your participation in this new custom. What, in the end, has it done for you or to you? 

The next reflection will be on Sunday, November 30.