Consumerism

Doug writes:

 Today we see the re-opening of many non-essential shops. Hopefully it is another sign that we are coming through the pandemic crisis. Great care must still be taken, though, and it is likely to feel quite different for the foreseeable future.

 

The lockdown may have changed the way we see things, our own lives and perhaps that of our planet. What was essential, what do we need, how do we cope? The incredible panic buying of items such as toilet rolls and certain basic foods as the lockdown began shows just how much people forget about their neighbours and can act irresponsibly in a crisis. Alongside the many acts of heroism, which we value most, there is our human inclination towards selfishness and folly – the same sort of attitude which led to the horrors of the slave trade and continues to disadvantage and mistreat other people today.

 

What do we really need? This time has shown that we can survive without many of the things which once seemed important. It will be good to return to a wider availability of food, goods and services but can we also retain an insight into the way so many of us have accepted the temptation of consumerism?

 

One prominent issue in the news is summer holidays. The utter horror that we might not be able to languish on a beach for a fortnight. It is as if they are an essential part of life – so how did people survive before the invention of jet aircraft and package holidays? And the truth is that runaway consumerism is destroying our planet – and too much consumerism means that we are in danger of “gaining the whole world, yet losing our soul”.

 

Yes, those are the words of Jesus, and the warning that we can set our sights on earthly things and lose true inner peace and future hope. It is a tough call, for we are bombarded with advertisements and proffered so many seemingly pleasurable items that we lose touch with what really matters. Living authentically as God calls us does not mean a wretched, mean existence but living responsibly and lovingly, connected to the eternal truth of God’s love for all mankind. As we return to many of the opportunities which we have grown to accept as normal, let us remember that spiritually we may find ourselves lost if we give in to everything that modern culture offers. For “We cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”.