Isaiah 2.7-8
Their land is full of silver and gold, and there is no
end to their treasures; Their land is full of horses, and there is no end to
their chariots.
Their land is full of idols; they worship the works of
their hands, that which their fingers have made.
Psalm 10.2;8-12
Arrogant scoundrels pursue the poor; they trap them by
their cunning schemes. They wait in ambush near towns; their eyes watch for the
helpless. to murder the innocent in secret. They lurk in ambush like lions in a
thicket, hide there to trap the poor, snare them and close the net. The
helpless are crushed, laid low; they fall into the power of the wicked, Who say
in their hearts, "God pays no attention, shows no concern, never bothers
to look."
Rise up, LORD God! Raise your arm! Do not forget the
poor!
I’ve waited a few days to formulate my thoughts on Black
Friday in the age of what is now being officially called a national recession.
I have used the 4 Volume Liturgy of the Hours now for about
1 ½ years as a way to mark time throughout the day in my attempt to remain
connected to the Vine. This
mornings readings made me think of some of the local expressions of Black
Friday that I’ve heard about over the last several days.
One instance that I’m thinking of involves a man probably in
his fifties who reportedly knocked a young boy down in order to rip an Xbox 360
from his grip and then sprint down the aisle towards the check out while a
young boy lay helpless on the floor surrounded by stunned onlookers.
Another instance was reported to me by a friend who works at
one of the Big Box Mart stores. On
Black Friday, this particular retail change lines their main aisles with sealed
crated pallets of goods. In order
to attempt to create an atmosphere of sanity, customers are allowed to place
one hand on the crate and then are given a corresponding number.
One guy came in to the game late and attempted to muscle his
way to the front, knocking people out of the way who had been there for some
time.
He went on to become particularly obstinate, my friend told
me, and began to harass the store employee so this particular person said that
this was NOT in fact how it worked and that since he had such a poor attitude,
he would not be given a number and would have to go to the rear of the
line. He exploded as you can
imagine.
It seems to me that the prophet and the psalmist were on to
something that is hardwired into any people group who has gained enough power
to somehow believe that they are entitled to walking over anyone to get what
they possess; that somehow, by marveling at the sheer work of their hands and
what they have been able to produce, then somehow they are entitled to the
choicest places of power, no matter who it hurts, even if it’s a little kid.
My prayer is that we, as the Body of the One whose birth we
are about to celebrate, will model a different alternative to the narrative of
our commercial culture. That we
might take the opportunities and the gifts and resources we have been given and
model what it looks like to live this new humanity that the birth, life, death
and resurrection of Jesus has made possible.
Peace,
E
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