The newspapers and futurists web sites have been filled with the concept that the trend in 2009 will be to look like you are not living an extravagent lifestyle. As I was reading about this I got very excited, “Finally, my less than ostentatious life style is in vogue.” The authors were telling how when they go shopping at the finer stores they have to make sure that they do not use the designer bags, rather, they would use the very plain bags so that people cannot see where they made the purchase. By the end of the article I can honestly tell you that I was thinking, “Give me a GIANT break.” This is not about sensitivity to the injustice of the culture……this is about a new trend that says don’t look like you have money.
I don’t mean to seem insensitive but in reality they didn’t care about their lifestyle of taking more than they needed from society, what they were concerned about was image. This saddens me! It is not about image, it is about true concern for the people that God has created. They stated that they would use plain bags rather than the traditonal store bags so that they could continue with intergrity. Give me a giant breaki!!!!!
Where is the concern for the poor? Where is the concern for the marginalized? Where is the concern for the brother and sister who are not invited to share in the benefits of the culture (e.g. health care).
So, where do I fit in? I have lived a life of quietness and simplicity………..how do I continue to make this happen in the culture in which I work? I strive for simplicity. I have no desire to impress people with things, power, prestige or whatever people use to “get ahead.”
