At some point during my adolescence, I recall my father telling me that I "liked nice things." He didn't mean it as an accusation, it was more of an acknowledgement; and it came with the caveat that in order to have nice things, one must work hard. I believe one example he provided was my habit of spending money on over-priced, brand-named iced coffees, when I could brew it at home instead. Being the stubborn teenager that I was, I could not admit it at the time, but my father was quite right. Life lessons are most effectively taught through action, and my dad embodied this principle in his intentionality in reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling. This instilled in me the values of protecting the planet and resisting overconsumption, which were at odds with my endless desire for things.
What is it about that iced coffee that makes me want it? As a business student majoring in marketing, I had the opportunity to learn about it in college. Corporations create a need within the consumer's mind, a problem they have invented that can be solved only by purchasing their product. It's communicated most visibly through promotion and advertising but also in more inconspicuous ways like cultural integration and societal norms. The end goal is not really to solve any need in our lives, but to maximize profits for the shareholders of that particular company. The Story of Stuff is a very helpful video in understanding how consumption and desire fit into our economic system.
Some of the principles taught in my business classes were at great odds with those I was learning through extracurricular activities. During senior year, I spent a week in Belize with fellow students building a small house (15'x15') from start to finish through Hand in Hand Ministries. We worked alongside the family who would move into the humble abode, laughed with one another, ate meals together, and heard each other's stories. I remember these folks being jubilant, gracious and deeply faithful in God. Although by American standards they had nothing, this family illustrated to me a wealth of unadulterated happiness. No amount of excess stuff can substitute that.
I've felt closest to God in settings of solidarity with the poor and disenfranchised. Reading the Gospels affirms that this is where Jesus lives. Yet each time the service experience concludes and I return to normal life, my commitments to living simply and sustainably are vulnerable to the noise of our consumerist economy. Next thing I know I am craving that refreshingly smooth iced coffee in the convenient and perfectly sized, firm plastic cup that displays itself in commercials, magazine stands and billboards. And living near Hollywood exposes me even further to the idolatry of wealth, fame, and power.
It is an ongoing battle because the very fabric of our society is designed to maintain the profit-maximizing model of continuous growth. We cannot rely on our political system to sort things out because it has been compromised by money and special interests. No, in order to make real change we should turn to successful justice movements in the past which mobilized people to act on big ideas (see: The Story of Change). I draw hope from the accumulation of many voices that are deeply concerned with the environment, dissatisfied with the wastefulness of the American Dream, and eager to envision new ways of living. I believe that if these voices continue to crescendo, more ears will listen, and a movement will form that can no longer be kept at bay.
Yours in faith,
Sean Patrick Coady
Associate Director