Consumerism as an addiction

Monday, October 17, 2016

“though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”  Luke 12:15

From the Gospel for Monday of the 29^th week in Ordinary Time.

This is the translation (The revised New American Bible) currently used at Masses in the United States. Other translations may resonated differently with us. Consider the following:

·         A man may be wealthy, but his possessions to not guarantee him life. (New American Bible)

·         One’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. (RSV)

We become so attached to things, and things get so attached to us, that it is sometimes difficult for us to get out from underneath them to consider who we really are and what really matters to us. Think of losing something when the loss with totally unhinge you: your car keys, for example. Or your wallet or passport. Or your cellphone or computer. Or that one cherished object. We are so attached, aren’t we?

Of course, I excuse my attachment to my cellphone and computer because without them I could not function in the practical world. But is that only an excuse? Who will I be when I am old and feeble and helpless and no longer have need of those things? Who will I be when I stand before almighty God after my death?

Here in the United States, it is not only the owning of possessions which has devalued us so much. Here the acquisition of more possessions; i.e. consumerism has become a suffocating addiction which is especially strong as we approach the month of December, otherwise known as the Christmas Shopping Season (which is some places has already begun). I was horrified to learn that a good number of corporation-owned franchises have announced that they are going to be open all of Thanksgiving Day (the 4^th Thursday in November). This means that their employees, many of whom work for wages so low that they qualify for Food Stamps, have had their Thanksgiving family celebrations taken away from them this year and probably all the years in the future. And, in addition to that, I suspect that countless numbers of consumers are going to cheapen their own celebrations by heading out to the stores to grab the bargains that will be offered to entice them to consider the holiday as just another shopping day.

People have a chance to get more stuff more quickly and thereby lose that part of their lives which is actually the most important to them---the part of their lives which can’t be touched, counted, wrapped with a bow or horded. They get more stuff but the quality of their lives has once again been diminished.

I was happy to see that there has been a pushback. An equal number of corporate-owned business have announced that they are deliberately not going to be open on Thanksgiving Day. Their workers are rejoicing; nonetheless, the damage has already been done to those who are slaves of the consumerist addiction and will be heading to the stores that are open.

Today’s Gospel passage speaks of the foolish rich man who decides to build bigger barns for his increasing possessions and riches, but whose life is going to end that very day. And we are reminded to store up “what matters to God.” (v. 21)

What if you knew you were going to meet the Lord tonight? Would you still go shopping today? Or would there be something else you might do? Why not go and do it today?

God bless you!