Obsessive Pursuit of Things

by Brandon Jubar

A couple weeks ago, the first reading, from Acts, described a situation that strikes terror into the hearts of Americans. It wasn't persecution or discrimination. It wasn't physical pain or death. It wasn't even fire and brimstone, or eternal damnation.

It was nothing like that at all. No, the topic that strikes terror into the hearts of Americans is the possibility of having to relinquish our things!

"There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need." (Acts 4:34-35)

Now, any Bible historians worth their salt will tell you that the Apostles believed that Jesus was coming again very soon; and by "very soon" we mean "any day now". With that sort of perspective, it's easy to see why they had no problem selling their things and distributing the wealth amongst the community of fellow Christians. Let's face it: if you knew the 2nd coming was going to happen next month, would you really be all that concerned about your mortgage?

Well, that may be historically accurate to an extent, but many others use this passage to show that one important part of being a Christian is sharing one's wealth to ensure that no one goes without the basic necessities of life. Haven't you heard human rights advocates using the phrase "each according to need"?

I won't argue against either of those positions, for they both have merit. What I will argue, however, is that there is another very profound lesson to be gleaned from that Scripture passage. One that is extremely important for all of us who are caught up in the day-to-day rat race. And that lesson has to do with our relentless pursuit of things.

Author Steve Stone has this to say about people who finally recognize the problem:
"Well, they just woke up one day and realized that too much of what they did day-to-day revolved around Things. Either they were buying Things, or fixing Things, or selling Things, or moving Things, or doing paperwork for their Things. Or, they were working more and more to pay for all of their Things. Things were dominating their lives. And they found that they were interacting more and more with people in relation to managing all of their Things, rather than actually DOING enjoyable activities with their family or friends. Their Things were creating their life. The tail was wagging the dog."

The obsessive pursuit of things is epidemic in the US and, thanks to our global economy, is headed for pandemic status. The solution that Stone proposes, although simple, is far from easy: "Get rid of the Things we have that aren’t contributing to our enjoyment in life." The objective, of course, is to focus less on material possessions and spend one's time doing activities that bring us enjoyment.

In essence, that's what many early Christians did. They ensured that everyone in the community had what they needed to survive so that they all could focus on preparing for the coming of the Lord. It was a joyous time! And it was an activity that they were passionate about!

Can we say the same about the way we spend our time? We can't create time. We can't save time. We can only spend time. So my challenge to myself and to you is that we find a quiet place and really think about this question: "How do I spend my time?"

For many of us, the next question may be, "Do I want to experience life by doing activities that bring me joy, or by spending my time in pursuit of things?"

We know what the early Christians chose. We know what Steve Stone advises. But I'm afraid that the deck is stacked against people who really try to kick the habit and cease their obsessive pursuit of things.

Peace,
~Brandon