The things you own end up owning you. It’s only after you lose everything that you’re free to do anything. ~Fight Club

Bill Talen (aka “Reverend Billy”) has gained much of my esteem. He stars in a new documentary/comedy called “What Would Jesus Buy?”. The movie is not only funny, but really hits home. Seldom does anyone stop to question consumerism, yet it runs (ruins?) our lives. Consumerism isn’t about buying things, it is about buying things we don’t need. We have created an entire culture were we work, labor, and struggle all in the hopes of buying our next… something.

Bill Talen calls this the “Shopocolypse”. I think this term is quite apt, as the act of “shopping” has turned into a major part of our lives. Just think for a moment that America’s favorite leisure-time activity is to go looking for things to buy we didn’t even know we wanted. We are the hardest working country in the world (well, maybe Japan, but we’re close), have the richest middle-class, and yet the majority of our population is in a large amount of consumer debt.

Some may wonder what this has to do with Christian mysticism, but Jesus spoke about money MORE than He did about love. In fact, to Rev. Billy’s observation, the only time Jesus really got pissed in Scripture what at people shopping and lending money in the temple. Mysticism and materialism are pretty much natural enemies. And as Rev. Billy says, “slowing down your consumption is a spiritual act.”

Probably one of the greatest mystic experiences was when I did a “stuff” sweep of my home. Encouraged by a friend of mine, my wife and I went through the entire house finding things to sell, donate, or throw away. Starting with easy stuff, like things we don’t want or need but just left around, and moving on to things we wanted but really didn’t need. In the end we filled over 40 large-size garbage bags full of stuff. We now live in a much smaller home as well, but never feel at a loss, because what we do have is now that much more precious.

I was amazed to see how much this even effected our children. Our “kids room” had gotten so cluttered with stuff from birthdays, Christmas, grandparents, and relatives. With all those toys, our kids never played with anything. Surprisingly, after we cleaned out their room and eliminate their stuff down to specific edifying and creativity-based toys, they now play with their toys almost constantly.

We now repeat this process frequently, going through the house just about every month to eliminate excess “stuff”. This process completely broke our addiction to shopping. After all, it is hard to buy something when you know you are going to get rid of it in a few weeks. Also, now that we intentionally have less space (albeit clean and well organized), we are less tempted to buy anything to clutter it up.

We never “shop” anymore, only going out to buy stuff we need. Most of our leisure time and outings are spent at playgrounds, the library, museums, or treating ourselves to a nice restaurant (which we have more money for). I have been blown away by how much easier money management has become.

Think about how much stuff controls your life. If you are struggle in your spiritual life, you may want to consider pruning your material life…. Oh yeah, and go see “What Would Jesus Buy”!

Links:

• Bill Talen on YouTube
• “What Would Jesus Buy” Movie Site

Related Articles:

• Consumerism – How We Got Here, and More Importantly, How We Get the Hell Out

Technorati Tags: bill talen, Christian Mysticism, consumerism, reverend billy, what would jesus buy

Next Wednesday, September 5th is the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa. My local Catholic newsletter asked readers to submit a letter of explaining what Mother Teresa meant to them. Below is what I submitted:

Mother Teresa was one the major influences which lead me to join the Catholic church. When looking for role models or heroes in this world it is pretty hard to find anyone else who better manifests the commands and virtues of Christ. However, so many people have raised her to a super-human level, like a myth or a legend, because it is so hard to believe that we could be held to the same standard. Her recently discovered writings, while they have been used by some who wish to discredit her, have made her more real and more human to me.

For someone who has done so much good in this world, Mother Teresa has a lot of critics. Especially in the evangelical world I grew up in, people were always trying to attribute her actions to anything other than charity. I have heard everything from “She is nieve and confused” to “She is just insane.” to “She is a devil in disguise trying to promote evil Catholic doctrine.” Those criticisms actually lead me to respect Mother Teresa more and more as I looked into her history and personal writings.

I think some people will do anything to discredit Mother Teresa because people like her set the bar too high for the rest of us. When Christ said that we are to be like Him, we don’t really believe it, but Mother Teresa did. Mother Teresa shows us how far we ourselves can go, and how much good those who truly believe and obey the teachings of Jesus Christ can accomplish.

When I first heard saw the reports of her writings about her inner struggle of faith and pain caused by the darkness around her, I cried. Not because I was disappointed, but because it hit me just how human she really was, and how genuine was her work. I myself am tempted to think of Mother Teresa as an exception to the human condition, but that report reminded me that she was a human just like me. She was an imperfect person who faced the full brunt of the darkness of this world and overcame it. If that doesn’t define a saint, I don’t know what does.

Technorati Tags: mother teresa, saint

My wife and I have been fans of the work of Hayao Miyazaki since the translation and import of Princess Mononoke to the American market back in 1999. Shortly after this, Disney took it upon themselves to translate and import most of his more family-friendly films and bring them to America. A couple films you may have heard of are Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. Hayao Miyazaki’s films are all done with great imagination and creativity, but he also portrays the human condition more accurately than other movie director/writer I have ever seen.

The other great wisdom shown in Hayao’s Miyazaki’s films is how evil is overcome. “Overcome” is the key word here, evil is not “conquered” but rather overcome through perseverance and maturity. In Spirited Away, the main character starts out as whiny and selfish, and likewise most of the characters around her are shallow and greedy. Throughout the film, the main character is actually struggling against herself as she overcomes her own weakness, as she grows those around her are challenged to grow as well. In a couple movies like Howl’s Moving Castle, the films end with no villains left at all, everyone has reconciled.

It is hard to say “everyone has reconciled” without making it sound like a pansy Sunday school-like cartoon. In truth, Hayao’s Miyazaki’s films run the gamut from warm and moving to deeply disturbing. Movies like My Neighbor Totoro explore the innocence and purity of childhood, while still pushing the characters to grow. On the other end, Princess Mononoke is a harsh warning toward greed and selfish living (and not recommended for children). Kiki’s Delivery Service presents children with a need to grow up and take responsibility, without losing the joy and wonder in life. Howl’s Moving Castle is about courage and how even the best of us become corrupted when we don’t face life’s challenges directly.

Not all of Hayao Miyazaki’s films are so obviously about good and evil, but all the films do carry his insights into each of the characters. While Princess Mononoke was truly about good and evil, it was watching his other films that made me realize how deep is insights into the human condition really are. Aside from good and evil, his films teach other truly relevant and important virtues. He teaches the need for charity and mercy, showing love not as a “good-feeling” but as a sign of true character and self-sacrifice. He also teaches the need for courage, instead of main characters being comforted or encouraged constantly throughout the story, they are only given wisdom and direction leaving it to them to follow it. He doesn’t pander to the audience, but challenges his viewers to grow and mature.

I highly encourage all parents show his films to their kids (excluding Princess Mononoke). And then when the kids are in bed, go ahead and watch Princess Mononoke. His depth of insight into the human condition combined with his epic imagination and captivating stories make Hayao Miyazaki a true master of his craft. Hayao Miyazaki is a great hero of truth in our day and age, and I just wanted to draw a little attention his direction.

External Links:

Hayao Miyazaki on Wikipedia

Hayao Miyazaki on IMDB

NEW! Get his latest work “Ponyo” on Amazon. It is a great family movie!

Technorati Tags: good and evil, Hayao Miyazaki, my neighbor totoro, princess mononoke, spirited away