on the verge of punching santa

i love advent. i hate consumerism. the 2020 covid pandemic has accentuated this for me.

normally, i try to keep the cultural christmas trappings at bay. i put up the lights, christmas tree, manger scene on december 24th and keep them up throughout the liturgical season. when i hear a christmas song on the radio, i switch the station. i don’t like malls and shopping normally. this year, shopping seems abhorrent to me. i grit me teeth when is see commercials on tv that encourage us to spend more. all the more if the message seems to suggest that it will help our economy. this is capitalism at its worst.

it has not gotten to the point that i want to punch santa—- yet. maybe next year…

in college, i learned marketing/psychological techniques aimed to sway the consumer mind– even manipulate our desires. that was the early 1980s. driven by technology now, consumerism is off the charts. ultra-materialism is accepted by most as a way of life. there are some hopeful signs now: minimalist movements; tiny houses; marie kondo simplifying. but these are marginal to our cultures capacity toward greed and coveting.

but 2020 is different for us all.

what will the covid pandemic teach us– as a culture– about ultimate values?

so essentially, this post is my rant against the continued secularization of the usa. being locked down for the past nine months has made me more ornery too. so my personal frustration is here too.

on a positive note, the religious dimensions of both advent (and i anticipate christmas) is what primarily helps me through this time. although loneliness and isolation has negatively affected me, it has been a test of faith. testing as in strengthening steel not a school test. if it were a school test, i do not know if i would receive a passing grade.

come Lord Jesus!

rant over. i dare look for grace now…