I am not patriotic. Some few of my friends think it's fun to send me patriotic texts and say things like "God bless America" and "proud to be an American."
Being in Ghana made me appreciate America more. I know I'll miss it when I leave again, but this nation still gets on my nerves.
Ghana gained its independence in 1957. Until then, it was under the control of the Dutch and then later the British. I am so thankful that my homeland has had independence for centuries. We are blessed.
Last week, as I was driving to some Fourth of July festivities, I was thinking about the difference between the U.S. and Ghana in experiencing freedom from colonialism.
Last week, America celebrated her freedom from colonialism as all free nations should. But I couldn't help but find the whole shindig ironic.
We rejoice in the fact that we are free from colonialism, but we willingly allow ourselves to be enslaved by materialism.
We see all that we could have, and we work like crazy to acquire it. We drain our bank accounts or charge things to our credit cards so that we can have the newest and the best - whether it's the house, the car, the phone, the computer, the gaming system, the clothing, the one big thing.
Friends, this makes me sad. My heart hurts for the people who willingly serve the big companies and long for everything advertised on television. It even affects the children in our nation. I grew up seeing kids in daycare scream "I want that! I want that! And that!" when commercials came on between cartoons.
Let's take a look at the day that most clearly celebrates materialism: Black Friday. It's a day dedicated to skipping sleep, standing in the cold, shoving your way through crowds, and doing whatever it takes to get the best deal.
Black Friday is a day for which some people live. Stink, friends. Stink. We were made for more than joy found in possessions -- SO much more!
Confession: one thing that bothers me so much about this materialism business is that I want to play into it. Since I've been back in the States, I've found myself wanting to be trendy, to have a smartphone, to have a fancy car, to have cutesy things for no reason other than to fit in.
But more than I want to fit into our culture of having the biggest, newest thing, I want to be free. I want to find my purpose in something greater than cheap crap made in sweatshops in China. I want to find purpose in Jesus and through him, love the people working in sweatshops in China.
I want more for me, you, and our nation. I want freedom to truly ring! I want us to be free from materialism as well as colonialism. Don't you?
No comments:
Post a Comment