Tonight I went Black Friday shopping. I went last year and oddly enough, it was almost enjoyable then. I went with friends and got some movies, some of which I've yet to watch a year later. I'm not really sure why I went tonight. I didn't have anyone to go with, nor did I really need to spend any money on movies. I love movies and I did end up with about $25 worth of good movies (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Megamind, Gone With the Wind, True Grit, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and X-Men First Class), but it wasn't a necessity. I guess maybe the biggest reason was just to do something different. I worked this morning through this afternoon and then had dinner with family and friends. It was a good day, but it seemed somewhat uneventful.
And so, I went into the heart of an immense darkness.
While out, I had a good many thoughts on the experience of Black Friday shopping. Most were how crazy and busy and packed everything was, but in the midst of that I began wondering why people go black Friday shopping. Some people just show up, like I did, while others spend hours on end and even forgo sleep for a chance at some discounted possessions. So why do people go to such extremes? Well, the cynic in me would say it's because people are greedy, selfish, and driven by their love of possessions and meaningless "stuff." However, the idealist in me would say it's because most people want to find good gifts to give their loved ones. I think that the reality falls somewhere in between. Some people truly want to give their loved ones something special, so they're willing to sacrifice time, sleep, and comfort in order to do it. Others I think are so in love with stuff that they're willing to trade in the same things for a different love.
I think we are all creatures driven by love. Some are driven by love for something outside themselves, while others are driven by twisted forms of self-love. We all crave love, for we all are surrounded by it. Sadly, most of it is hollow, sinful, or limited.
We need You, Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment