Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Everything

The Curse of

 Entitlement

"No one ascends to heaven with comfort"

- Abba Isaac the Syrian (c.700 A.D.)

The first disciples to "leave their nets" and follow Jesus were not wealthy or even financially stable or viable in todays' terms. Yet, he warned them of the dangers of all kinds of greed:

“Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” 

- St. Luke 12: 14

I believe that what Jesus warned against was not just the attitude of accumulation or acquisition, but the attitude of self-righteous entitlement. This sense that having "stuff" is a sign of value and, dare I say it? A constitutional right of privilege.

You don't have to look very far into the history of our current economic crisis to see that the root cause is this overwhelming, almost universal claim to "deserving" a better life.

CAUSE AND EFFECT

COVETOUSNESS: It's found at the heart of the sub-prime mortgage crisis - where it was not only the greed of some the mortgage companies to maximize their fees that drove them to extend credit where no credit was due, but also the attitude of the prospective homeowners that claimed that "everyone was entitled to a home," Translation: "Property ownership is the right of every citizen." Result: Mortgages with large payments being granted for families with very little income or credit.

COVETOUSNESS: It can be found in the auto-industry where the rush to market in order to capture a larger share of the profits led to a glut of dealerships and inefficient engine designs that were historically hidden by the lower cost of fuel. Result: Higher fuel prices and lower demand for high fuel usage vehicles amongst an overstretched dealer network. 

For years people had been fed advertising that said that your mode of transportation defined your status as a human being. Almost as if to say "Waste of fuel is a sign of affluence!!" 

COVETOUSNESS: It is fed by, and can be seen in, all the media advertising for drugs, makeup, and gadgets that promise in one way or another to make you a better person - as if by purchasing the right brand of product adds to your worth as a human being.

Now let me be clear - having a home, a nice car, and nice toys are not bad things in themselves - however, I hope we never consider them to be entitlements. They are gifts of comfort and are privileges that we, the fortunate, have available to us. Having, or not having them says nothing about our value as human beings. No one loves gadgets and toys more than I do and a few years ago I became very aware of the harsh realism of the pervasiveness of covetousness in myself when during a financial downturn I had to do without these things for a while and felt the anguish and lack of self-esteem that almost overwhelmed me during this time. I am more grateful for these things now and really try not to abuse my privileges. 

We live in a part of the world where we have so much to be grateful for and so much of what we have is underappreciated and taken for granted.

THE ART OF FASTING

The early Church Fathers and Saints had much to say about frugality or self-restraint. Many of the principle disciplines of the Church that we've forgotten or pay token homage to today, were instituted as physical reminders of the virtues of frugality. Not just as an act of self-denial, but as a means of growing more in gratitude for that which we have everyday. During the upcoming season, the ancient Church  preceded the feast of the Nativity (Christmas) with a fast - not with the goal of achieving an exalted spiritual status, but with the purpose of inspiring a renewed level of gratitude for the bountiful feast that may have been taken for granted otherwise.

THE WAY OF ASCESIS AND THE GRIDLOCK OF CONSUMERISM

ASCESIS  is a rich word that means self-discipline or self-denial. Like other disciplines (diet, exercise, financial planning etc) it brings rich rewards of character.

"Only through self-denial, through a willingness to forgo and say "no" or "enough," will we be able to rediscover what it means to be truly human. Ultimately, the spirit of ascesis is less a judgement on the material goods of the world than a way of liberation from the stress and anguish that result from the desire to "have more." It is the key to freedom from the gridlock of consumerism."

- Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, "Encountering the Mystery," p. 66

In many ways, because of our behavior, we deserve the economic situation that we're facing. Perhaps we'll learn from it - perhaps it will make us more "truly human," as we each learn how to say "enough is enough," and rediscover what we already have in such abundance and begin to share it with those who have less.

- from "Living" a poem by Jenny Holzer

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!