Anyone besides me ever think about what Jesus would think of our daily activities? I mean particularly in our consumption crazed nations like here in the ole U S of A?
Really by all indications the guy had at least one nice set of clothes (nice enough for some Roman soldier to gamble for his cloak) and he certainly didn’t seem to miss necessary meals except for that 40-day fast in the desert. He seemed to have some fun and hang out even while he “teached and preached” but he was a guy who didn’t carry a lot of baggage with him. Literally or metaphorically.
The amount of money any of the average one of us spends on bullcrapola like multiple daily coffees or fast food visits or worthless grooming products or new clothes we don’t need and might not even get around to wearing. Buying stuff that’s on sale even if we don’t need it. Getting a new car when the old one is running fine.
So much money down the tubes. Money we could be salting away. Money we could be using to help the poor. Money we could be using to help our churches continue to pay their bills and staff. Money we could….o heck I’ve made it clear already.
Alot of conservative folks like to think that Jesus would vote Republican. Yea right! Not sure he’d vote Dem either but he sure wouldn’t side with a bunch of folks who think the best thing in the world is to make sure rich people get richer and more people get poorer to make that happen. Jesus was into spreading the wealth and not hoarding it.
Not saying you have to hermit up in your homes or anything. But in the old days (and I don’t even mean as old as J.C.’s day) people could stay around the house or walk around and stuff and somehow remain entertained. Too many of us think that we have to do, do, do, do, DO. Get, get, get. Go go go!
Yes, having lunch out can be cool. So can seeing a flick at the theatre. But how many times do we spend and get and go when we should be staying by the hearth and figuring out how to be closer to our families and enjoy a little stillness and thrift in life?
wish i had the disposable income to indulge as listed above…
as a tax accountant [a woefully underemployed tax accountant- do NOT believe the hype that we all make $50/hour. maybe we do, but if we only work 10-12 hours a week because formerly employed clients have lost their own jobs or businesses…] i’ve been noting the downward spiral and income dichotomy for the past 6 years. executives make more and more [or did. about a year ago, upper management started getting the boot around here too] and lower and middle wage earners have had an increasing struggle to stay afloat. families with two incomes are managing as long as they both have jobs [teachers, civil servants, firefighters, nurses] but those are getting cut too. industry? small business? tourism? [i live in orlando] nothing. and when you lose your job, how can you afford to relocate? to where? what if your spouse is still employed and has medical benefits? or you have kids in school? there isn’t anything out there.
so how about a column that is a bit more au courant?
instead of ‘oh we spend too much on bullcrapola like lattes at starbucks’ [btw, barristas are losing their jobs too. as are haircutters. and daycare providers.] how about some alternatives? go to a local place on an open mic night, with friends. buy a coffee. spend $5 but make it MEANINGFUL. or go to a museum on free afternoon. or take the kids to the library for movie night and ice cream after. inexpensive pleasures. go to a craft demo, watch a potter throw clay or a spinner card. or a dinner party that’s a pot luck because even a dinner party costs money.
I rather think that Miz Pink’s point WAS to be more meaningful about how we spend money, whether for personal entertainment or pleasure or helping others. It wasn’t an advice column with specific tips.
😉
Instead, she’s pointing out how we’ve misplaced our priorities and spent too much…and still do sometimes (and she was, mind you, trying to tie it to the spiritual theme, as well). It is, in part, what got the United States into its current predictament…and there are still plenty of people who haven’t realized that they are spending themselves into oblivion at a time when consumerism isn’t what we need.
Sure, we need to buy things and sure, we want businesses to be able to employ people, but we can’t spend this country into health, because all that money we spend is often money we cannot afford to be spending. Until we get the foundation solid, we can’t properly grow again.
And really, I think some of what’s disappearing needs to. When did we NEED a dozen different restauarant chains with the same decor and menu (Friday’s, Bennigan’s, Chili’s, etc. etc. etc.)?
I think we’re at a time when people need to be wiser about how and when they spend. And a lot of that, in my opinion, needs to be about not just propping up big chain stores but doing more local business support. Helping the people who’s businesses are their lives, and not so much the businesses that are a corporation’s livelihood.