Making
Do With Less In A Season of Excess
by
Pastor Paul J. Bern
Now
that Thanksgiving has come and gone as the Christmas holidays
approach, it is time for all of us to change our focus from the
acquisition of material wealth to that of intangible enrichment, such
as our health, well being, peace of mind and contentment. Everywhere
we go we find ourselves surrounded by a bombardment of mass media,
mass marketing and corporate sponsorship. The average American gets
knocked over with endless commercials from the time they get up until
they lay back down at night, especially our children. The existence
of a near-constant stream of subliminal messaging through the mass
media is common knowledge, and all of it is to our detriment! All the
while, it costs a fortune to buy anything these days, even groceries!
In contrast, I grew up in a 1,200 square feet house that cost
$18,000.00 when it was built in 1954. Today we are surrounded –
hemmed in is more like it – by opulence and wealth on a magnitude
never before seen in the history of human civilization, even to the
point that many of us have begun to take it all for granted. It makes
me wonder if losing some of this excess wealth might do some of us a
lot of good.
Maybe
we should begin to ask ourselves some basic questions about our lives
and how we are living them, while we're engaging in fisticuffs for
that new microwave-toaster-oven-walk-in-freezer we've been saving our
pennies for. For example, why would any of us want a newer car when
there is probably nothing mechanically wrong with the one we drive
now? And why would any of us want a bigger house when the one we are
currently living in is fine? The answer in both cases is that
American society is, for lack of a better word, programmed to be
upwardly mobile. This happens partly due to social pressure on the
part of our peers as well as economic pressure from corporate
America, with the accompanying least common denominator being pure
greed. Our society here in the US, from our current and terrible
medical care system to the dangerously overextended banking system,
to the well-established debt-based capitalist economic system that
keeps us all enslaved, is based on greed for the accumulation of
material goods and the hoarding of cash and assets for “investment”
or “retirement” purposes, two euphemisms for “I've got more
than you have”.
Owing
to the fact that there are 2.5 billion people, or roughly a third of
the earth's population, who live on less than $2.00 per day, it has
been getting clearer to watchful eyes from everywhere that the
hoarding of wealth by the developed and established countries is
increasingly happening at the expense of other less fortunate
third-world countries. The unending influx of economic refugees from
Mexico and Central America to the US is only one example of dozens
globally. The more recent mass migrations from Syria and Iraq are
another. Increasingly larger amounts of money are being hoarded by an
ever smaller minority of elitists worldwide. Some people in this
group are for the most part engaged in legitimate enterprises, while
others are either drug cartels or just flat-out organized criminals.
Capitalism's holy grail, the quest for never-ending profit, has
devolved into a monster – composed of endless debt and infinite
compounded interest – that is consuming itself, that is
unsustainable, and that is therefore ultimately self-destructive. Its
impending self-destruction also means that it is harmful to the rest
of us when it implodes or otherwise collapses, constituting a real
and present threat to us all.
As
a result of growing hunger on the part of many of us who are
disillusioned with the old school, debt-driven, for-profit business
and government, people are beginning to explore other ways of living
and to develop new values for a less growth-oriented community. I
myself am a part of this movement, having moved from the suburbs to
the inner city here in Atlanta where I live, and relying mostly on
public transit to get around. Although I'm disabled and don't own a
car any more, the lifestyle changes I have made over the last few
years have transformed my life. First of all, I'm no longer stuck in
Atlanta traffic, and so I seldom get stressed out over much of
anything. The buses and trains go at a gentler pace, and I find this
rejuvenating. I leave whenever I feel like it, and come back home the
same way. But the most practical part of using public transit is that
not owning a vehicle saves me at least $10,000 dollars annually by
the time I include insurance and maintenance, and that's for an
entry-level car. It also gives me a very small carbon footprint so I
can set a good example for others to follow.
Besides,
in Genesis chapter one it says that God created man to “subdue the
earth”, which includes caring for it. In that regard, mankind has
done an atrocious job of taking care of the planet that God gave us
to live on, a planet that God created specifically for us. Mankind
has the collective responsibility to care for and nurture this planet
we live on! Whenever we pollute our environment, and especially when
whole countries threaten one another with nuclear annihilation, we
show utter contempt for God's creations! Those who pollute the earth
are spitting in the face of God, and they will be held accountable!!
In the interim, one of the best ways to begin to repair the earth's
damaged environment would be to move to the city and rent, sell or
park our cars, and take public transit, ride bikes, or walk. In other
words, doing this would be a way that we can all honor God. Add to
this the fact that walking or bike riding is very good for our
health, and we have sufficient motivation to begin working toward
this goal. As you have guessed, I do a fair amount of walking myself,
and I'm better off because of it!
Others
are exploring additional ways to simplify their lifestyles and to get
by on less stuff than they were formerly accustomed and still be
contented. The Bible tells us “to be content whatever the
circumstances” (Phil. 4:11). The apostle Paul wrote that he “has
learned the secret to be contented” (Phil. 4:12), and that
“Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1st Tim. 6:6). Many
people are opting for smaller, more practical living quarters. One
acquaintance of mine from the church I attend and serve as a musician
has done something similar to that. When the family car reached the
end of its life and they didn't have enough money to replace it with
a newer model, they moved out of their suburban apartment into a
dwelling where the bus stop is 100 feet away. It's a slightly smaller
house than where they had been living, but
it gave them the added benefit of becoming a closer family — both
literally and figuratively. By moving to a smaller house, this family
of four was forced to be around each other more often, which they
discovered they actually enjoyed. They essentially traded excess
space that they really didn't need for togetherness and
inter-connectivity. Everybody should want that deal!
At
the heart of this story lies a deeper critique of the American
obsession with consumption and the “bigger is better” mantra.
Many Americans shun the word “sacrifice,” but studies find that
trading stuff for time with people quite often makes us happier,
healthier, and more sustainable. I can cite one of my favorite
scientific findings: When we act altruistically (volunteer, donate to
charity, etc.), we get the same neurological high in our brains that
food and sex impart. Being good really does feel good. Welcome to
conscious consumption: It’s not just about what we buy (even if it
is fair-trade, organic, local), it’s also about being intentional
with what we already own and cutting out the excess. On a related
note, because of the recent recession, Americans are buying less, but
doing more. The Department of Labor, keeping tabs on how people spend
their time, found that Americans were cooking at home or
participating in “organizational, civic and religious activities”
30% more in 2015 than in 2010.
So
what can we do immediately to begin a cooperative movement to begin
to rejuvenate the earth? Cook at home more and eat out less. Get
involved in politics. Going green in every possible way, up to and
including doing without a car? Definitely! Let's replace our
antiquated power grid with one that is low voltage and wireless.
Those are some hopeful and meaningful signs of progress toward
sustainable, climate-friendly cities in a totally green future. Can
my crusade for unconditional equality, and for social and economic
equity encourage a bigger shift toward conscious consumption and
green living? I certainly hope so.
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