Moving is a huge job. You have to pack everything up in boxes, make sure the fragile things are cushioned, find a spot for every item you own. It's an interesting way to find out what you have. How much stuff we Americans pile up in closets and drawers, how many things we keep lying around that we don't need, or even really want.
People say that we are a consumer culture, we just keep getting and getting and getting new things. Looking at the pile of boxes and bags of things, I realized that I am no different from anyone else. I collect stuff.
My wardrobe, for example, fills several large duffel bags. T-shirts for casual, dress shirts for church and work, jeans and slacks and accessories. We have sweaters for winter and shorts for summer, a separate wardrobe for each season and each situation. How much of that do I really need? Looking at my clothes, I probably only wear half of it more than once or twice a year. So why did I pick it up and move it across four states?
In the process of packing and unpacking, I have been without many of the things I own for several weeks, even a month. They sit around in boxes and I don't have access to them. And I have discovered that I don't really miss them.
We think we need all of this stuff. It's just the way we live, what we are used to. But so many people in the world don't have enough stuff, and I'm sitting here with things I can't even remember I had.
Who could use that cute sweater and bought and only wore once? Who would love to have an extra cooking pot that I keep around just in case I decide to make a fancy meal? It makes no sense that my closets are full and other people--many people--millions of people--don't even have closets to fill.
The worst part is, I don't know what to do about it. Sure, I can toss my extra things in the trunk and take them to Goodwill. A charitable group will earn money off the sale and people in need will have second-hand clothes and things for a low price. But that doesn't seem like enough. That's not really doing anything to help, to stop the cycle.
Because as soon as my closet has a little extra space, I'll start filling it again.
When all some people want is a little extra space--a simple roof over their head.
We can't just pile our things in the trunk and do a little good deed. We need to do so much more than that. We need to change the way we live so that people in need get more than just our leftovers, the second-hand things that we are tired of. Instead of buying something new for me, I need to buy it for someone else. Instead of filling my empty spaces with things I don't need and don't even want to keep, I need to fill it with something of value, something that will endure.
This is what Jesus was talking about when he said to store up treasures in heaven. Get rid of your stuff, empty your space, so you can begin again with something better. Something eternal.
No comments:
Post a Comment