Dame Fashion And Lord Mammon Are Dictating Our Choices And Devastating Our Planet

The mammoth mountain created at our local landfill (upper left of the photo) is a monument to our addiction to having ever more of the latest and best. 

One of our problems in America is that we have an enormous capacity for producing goods but a limited number of consumers to buy them. So we’ve developed a massive advertising industry aimed at persuading us to buy more and more of what we don’t need and at a level our planet could never sustain for its billions of its inhabitants.

One way Madison Avenue addresses this first world problem is to convince us to constantly upgrade, add to, and/or replace what we currently have in order to keep up with whatever is considered the latest and the best--all in an effort to avoid appearing dated and out of fashion. This has long been true when it comes to our wardrobes, but it has become equally so when it comes to our electronic equipment, our vehicles and in the ways we upgrade and decorate our homes. And inevitably all of our refurnishing, refurbishing and upgrading will have to be redone when the next latest trend replaces the current one.  

Christopher Decker, in a piece published in the Wall Street Journal called “Selling Desire, Why Chastity is Bad for Business," notes that there was a time when consumers primarily made purchases based on the durability and cost of a product. But a consumer society has to reverse these old fashioned values, Decker notes, because if business is to succeed and the economy thrive, we need to be convinced that desires alone are sufficient reasons to buy things--and that these desires must be satisfied now, even if we have to max out our credit cards to do so. 

Thus the very notion of "chastity" has to go, he says, since it represents a mindset that runs counter to a throwaway consumer culture that urges us to get our our Visa cards to buy and use stuff with abandonment. And then the things we can no longer use, or which don't pass the current fashion test, we simply discard, sell at a yard sale, drop off at a local thrift store, or send to the landfill.

“The love of money (and what money can buy) is the root of all kinds of evil,” we are told, and our devotion to Mammon has become the primary religion of our time. 

And its destroying our planet.

A Canadian Writer Responds To Sunday's Post

The Titanic, a symbol of luxury and wealth, sails into the sunset.

Peter Reimer, a retired teacher from Manitoba, sent me the following response to yesterday's blog (below) in which he laments the extent to which Mennonites have embraced the pursuit of Mammon.

I post it here with his permission:

I think our Anabaptist ancestors have long pursued a "prosperity gospel," long before Andrew Carnegie in the late 19th century--and subsequently Oral Roberts in the mid-twentieth century--attributed a large part of their financial wealth to it being God's will. 

The advent of mercantilism and global trade/shipping of the Dutch shortly after the Reformation and the 17th century Dutch Golden Age meant that Anabaptist Mennonites were in a great position to capitalize. Less than 150 years after Schleitheim (1527), Mennonites were positioned at the top of Dutch society as traders, merchants, even the natural sciences. Huge estates and wealth were seen as the result of living a blameless life, a theological understanding perfectly aligned with commercial pursuits. 

This gave rise to Theileman von Braght's Martyr's Mirror (1660) in which he provides a scathing indictment of the wealth accumulation of fellow Mennonites, imploring a return to the ethics of Acts 2 or at least the Schleitheim Confession of the early Anabaptists. 

It seems martyr's are readily forgotten, or if not forgotten, at least silenced and resigned to a coffee table prop in a Mennonite household. From the Netherlands, to Prussia, to Russia (1789), to Canada (1874) the goals and results have always been the same, land and wealth accumulation, a pursuit of prosperity supported by a theology which sanctions these pursuits. 

Upon observing colonial settlers (perhaps Mennonites too), the Lakota leader Sitting Bull (1831-1890) is quoted to have said, "their love of possessions is a disease ... if America had been twice the size it is there still would not have been enough" (Sitting Bull: The Collected Speeches). 

Here in Manitoba, Canada, where I am a resident, Mennonite Church Canada is silent on the pursuit of wealth of its congregants. Wealth is accommodated and prized. The more the wealth the more tithing? Whatever the case, the dis"ease" of wealth has us in its grip. 

In the ancient culture of the Sioux, Lakota, the practice of the "giveaway" meant that one gave all ones wealth to the community. The community's poorest individual was then considered to be the richest. It seems that the Sioux must have met Jesus long before 1492. Seems like Christianity has much to learn from the indigenous peoples of North America.

Booking The Voyage Of A Lifetime--Shall It Be The "US Titanic" Or The Biblical Ark?

When launched from Southampton, England in 1912, the Titanic was the largest (and most luxurious) moving structure ever built, and was believed to be unsinkable.

Next to Noah's Ark, the vessel designed to preserve life on earth and offer the world a new start, no ship has gotten as much attention as the ill-fated Titanic, an example of the best devised human plans going horribly wrong. 

We usually associate the ship's maiden voyage with images of the rich and famous on the cruise of a lifetime on this state of the art craft. And while there were the super rich who had whole suites to themselves and who were provided unbelievable amenities--along with the other 200 plus first-class passengers who occupied the upper decks--the majority of the 2,223 passengers (and of course the crew) were actually second- and third-class voyagers. And among those occupying the lower decks of the ship were hundreds of mostly German immigrants making the journey for a new life in the US. 

I certainly wouldn't be the first to see the legendary Titanic as a metaphor for the first-class economies of powerful and prosperous nations like the US, widely believed to be humanity's best hope for the future, but also representing many layers of privilege and power. And I wouldn't be the first to remind us that God may have opposite plans in mind for inhabitants of the wonderful planet we call earth.

I join those who envision God's dream being that of all of us traveling together in the safety of an Ark, a metaphor for a life voyage in which all humanity and all living creatures are cared for and are anticipating a new life of shalom. I see Jesus and the prophets calling all of us to a future in which there will be a fully restored heavens and earth, free of exploitation, violence, discrimination and domination, just as the original heavens and earth were designed to be.

Meanwhile, we should see life in the here and now as brief, and all about praying and working together for a life of salvation, freedom, justice and abundance for all, not just a privileged few.

So when it comes to the voyage of a lifetime, let's be sure to book the right vessel.

If Our House On Hamlet Could Tell Its Story

Every house has it's own unique character. If ours could speak,
here's what I imagine it might say:

"Like the many single family homes in older suburbs around Harrisonburg, I represent the craftsmanship of literally millions of hands far and near, and I have been inhabited by scores of people in the sixty plus years of my life. 

The half acre lot on which I was built was purchased in 1955, and my first owners lived in the basement until they could afford to finish and furnish the upstairs space. Since then numerous families have raised children under my roof, couples have retired here, and scores of college students, young couples and single individuals have made their homes in the basement apartment below.

I was first conceived by architects who drew up the blueprints used by the builders overseeing the project. Every step of construction involved numerous people who covered every necessary detail, beginning with an excavation crew carving out the basement and digging the foundation. 

Concrete trucks delivered loads of cement mixed with tons of water and sand, along with gravel from a nearby quarry, all of which was poured into the basement floor and the footers. Cement blocks manufactured at a local plant were hauled in and laid in place by a hardworking crew of skilled masons. 

The truckloads of lumber required came from as far away as the western US and Canada. Scores of floor joists, wall studs and roof rafters were hammered together by a carpentry crew applying scores of board feet of lumber and multiple sheets of plywood that went into the subfloor, walls and roof. And of course all of this came from trees in far off forests where the lumber was harvested,  hauled, milled, planed and prepared for shipping. As with all of the building supplies, truckers from all over were responsible for transporting all of these goods to the local firms that provided for their storage, marketing, sale and delivery. 

Multiple other products from all over were added by a small army of roofers, electricians, drywall workers, plumbers, heating and cooling installers, finish carpenters, painters, carpet installers and landscapers, each by turn doing their part in creating the finished dwelling. 

So as you can see, a house is not just a house, but a remarkable artifact made up of thousands of products crafted by millions of hands from all over the globe, all made possible by an amazing Creator of a truly amazing and fragile planet. And over the years my owners have painted, repaired, remodeled and made additions and improvements that have added to my value, utilizing even more products that have been mined, manufactured, crafted, assembled, packaged and then shipped from places all over the globe. With proper care, I should last for generations.

While I am not the latest or most luxurious house in the neighborhood, I have been well lived in and loved on, have provided protection from the cold and relief from the heat, and have a multitude of memorable stories to tell. My present owners, having inhabited me for half of my life (nearly 33 years now) are reluctant to leave, but are planning to downsize and simplify their life by moving to one of VMRC's comfortable and more than adequate homes in nearby Park Village."

Our new abode is the middle unit between our two new neighbors' garages on Hawthorne Circle.

Where The Deer (If Not The Antelope) Prey

Our garden is usually a therapeutic place "where seldom is heard a discouraging word." But one exception is when deer from a nearby woods come by for a late night buffet, something that happened again just two weeks ago.

Having had no success with deer repellents, I tried something different this year, a virtually invisible "fence." It's simply three strands of fishing line attached to steel posts at each corner of the garden.

I got the idea from a neighbor, a native West Virginian, who assured me it works for him. In my version I drove the four steel posts into the ground at an angle, as you can see on the photo, and attached small strips of tinfoil to the lines so no one would accidentally walk into them. I cut the strips from aluminum pie pans and attached them to the line, giving each a little twist to keep them in place (the upright posts you see inside the garden are for the tomato plants).

This experimental barrier has actually worked for two weeks now. I still find some occasional deer droppings in the area around the garden, but so far the deer seem to be spooked by the fishline. According to someone else I spoke to, having any fence at an angle or spaced apart also throws off their depth perception and discourages them from jumping over it, which they could easily do.

I was first concerned that the enclosure would make it hard to get in and out of the garden, but that's quite simple. Just bend over a bit, raise the middle fishline and carefully step over the lower one. Mission accomplished. And since we mulch everything each year with leaves, compost and/or grass clippings, we don't need to access it with our tiller once the soil is prepared for the season. And mowing the grass next to the garden shouldn't be a problem either.

I won't consider myself having found a foolproof solution just yet, as deer are really smart when it comes to overcoming barriers between them and finding food. Nor am I sure I fully understand why this low budget fence actually works.

But I'll keep you posted. We just saw two young deer checking out the neighborhood in broad daylight last evening, so we'll see.

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6/25/21 update: We had some deer reach under the fishline to top off a few corn stalks over a week ago, so we sprayed some deer repellent all around the garden to add to its protection. So far, so good. 

7/4/21 update: We had five deer in our backyard this morning, enjoying a breakfast of apples lying on the ground. But so far they still haven't trespassed into the vegetable garden.

7/29.21 update Second batch of sweet corn is about ready to harvest, and tomatoes are doing great. The combination of three strands of fishing line and some occasional deer repellent around the parameter of the garden has worked.

Should We Use Male Pronouns For God--Or When Referring To Both Women and Men?

Here is the poster my daughter made to show the results of her seventh grade science fair project many years ago.

There's been a significant increase in the use of inclusive language when referring to people in general, as in choosing terms like " human" or "humankind" rather than "man" or "mankind." And many have come to avoid using male pronouns for God in order to avoid giving the impression that God is somehow a masculine being, and in light of both male and female humans being created in God's very image and likeness according to the Genesis account.

Norms for how we use and understand language are always changing, of course, which is why we no longer use terms like "thee," "thou" or "thy," but is our use of terms and choice of masculine, feminine or generic pronouns really that important? Doesn't everyone understand that referring to "brothers," "he" or "him" when addressing a group of people isn't at all meant to exclude or ignore women?

I'm not an authority on grammar, but I recently ran across an interesting science fair project my daughter did back when she was a seventh grader. She prepared two general descriptions of qualities of an effective teacher, identical except the one used the generic plural pronouns "they" and "them" throughout and the other used male pronouns like "he" or "him" in the same description. She then gave one group of seventh graders the first statement and another the second, and had each visualize this imaginary teacher, write a brief description of their own, and assign a name of the real or imaginary person who came to their mind.

The result was that all but one of the students in the first group chose a male name while in the second group 46% chose male names and 54% female ones.

Even though she didn't win a prize for her exhibit, I was impressed. But I'll let you each draw your own conclusions about the results.

On Race, Have We Come A Long Way? (Or Not?)

When our house was built, only white people would have been
permitted to own or rent it.

I recently found a copy of a deed of trust recorded 70 years ago on May 21, 1951, for the property on which our home was built.  A member of the faculty of a nearby college purchased three lots along Hamlet Drive from a respected member of its board of trustees, with the following stipulations, all typical of deeds of that era:

1. The said lots shall be used for residential purposes and for no other purpose. No trailer, tent, garage or other outbuildings shall be place or constructed upon said lots, and used as a residence.

2. That no chicken houses or hog pens shall be constructed on said lots.

3. That no residence shall be erected on said lots, or either of them, of less value at construction than Five Thousand Dollars ($5000.00). 

4. That no residence or other outbuildings shall be erected upon said lots, within fifty (50) feet of the western line of a thirty (30) foot street.

5. That said lots shall not be sold or leased to any person or persons other than the white race.

6. That in case of any violation, or attempted violation of any of the covenants herein contained, any owner or owner of other lots situated in said subdivision shall have the right to file a bill in equity against the person or person violating or attempting to violate any of the said covenants, to obtain a perpetual injunction against the same.

I can assure you that when we sell our house there will be no clause barring people of color, which would be illegal in any case, but has our community ever fully overcome its racist past? Hamlet Drive has remained virtually all white with the exception of a past tenant in our basement and a current couple from the Middle East in another nearby ground floor apartment.

So while I celebrate changes in housing and other laws in the past half century, I suspect that fundamental changes in our hearts and minds, and in our friendships and relationships, still need to be made.

What do you think?