speech!

Define necessity. Do you really need half of what you own? Is there not someone else out there, like perhaps an emaciated child in dire need of the bare essentials that you own ten times over? So act. Stop finding petty excuses to sit idly by while people all over the world are dying because you didn’t possess the courage to stand up and do something. I implore you to help change our modern society’s warped definition of the word “need.” We need food, water and shelter, and we should be able to ensure that others at least can enjoy these basic elements of life, yet this is quite challenging at times because of the plague we like to call materialism. Quit thinking about yourself for once and focus your attention on someone or something else with real needs.

What better time to think about someone else than the holidays! All is merry, all is bright. But it certainly isn’t that way for everyone. Christmas is all about honoring the birth of Jesus and showing our love for one another, yet it’s sadly losing some of its sacred religious significance. It is evolving into a more unsavory event all about receiving rather than giving. I can see this even in my own home when my little brother begins making his excessive Christmas list months in advance, as he soon becomes thoughtlessly fixated on all of the minor, ridiculous expenses he deems necessary to make him happy. The spirit is lost in the process, as all of the material goods gradually seduce you. There is a constant stream of new gadgets and desires to be had, distancing us from what truly matters. The song “Feliz Navidad” perfectly illustrates our society’s distorted perspective with the lyric, “I wanna wish you a merry Christmas, with lots of presents to make you happy.” Sure, that’s a nice thought, but what about giving opportunity to an otherwise hopeless person in true need of the gift of your kindness.

Of course, media is an oppressive force in our lives nowadays as well. Materialism is constantly fueled by this industry, and sometimes it feels like it is its sole purpose. Sleazy marketers strive to produce and sell whatever new, inane junk they can. But being the materially obsessed people that we are, we are hypnotically enthralled by these meaningless items. It temporarily becomes all we think about, all we want, and all we think we need. We are influenced by all media outlets whether it be television, computers, radio, or other devices, and they simply intensify our urge to continually buy and think about buying. I ask you, how many times have you been innocently watching TV and suddenly a catchy commercial captures your attention and forces you to think, “Hey that’s awesome! I must have it.” Materialism affects the best of us in some way or another, and personally I can accept that I have fallen victim to it one too many times. It is the inescapable scourge of our society. Next time you are in line at the mall with a bundle of frivolous purchases under your arm, pause. Do you really need those things? The solution to ending this epidemic is simple: give as much or even more than you receive. The feeling is so vastly more rewarding than any other, and you’ll find you’re more yourself than you’ve ever been.

Do not let what you have define you, rather let who you are be what shapes the better person you continually hope to become. There’s a certain freedom that comes when you are finally, temporarily granted release from the destructive forces of materialism. This summer I was lucky enough to travel to Italy with my Sunday School class. It was so easy to become wrapped up in all of the wonderful Italian fashions that, at first, I found myself hopelessly distracted from the humble purpose of my trip in the first place, which was to participate in a pilgrimage following in the footsteps of Saint Francis. Now that I look back on it, the most hilarious and even the most poignant times of the trip were spent with everyone together just enjoying the simple nature of each other’s company, laughing and reminiscing, not having a care in the world about what we looked like or what we possessed or didn’t possess. Though it may sound cliché, that experience forever altered how I perceive the subject of materialism. Time and time again we will find ourselves astray, being pulled further and further in by our material desires, but the important thing is to take a step back and to always remember who we are as people, where we came from, and who we want to be. It’s important to take a break, simplify, and assess our real needs.

Define necessity. Slow down and take a closer look at someone truly in need. Helping them will help you, and surely the oppressive qualities of materialism can be overcome. You are all good people; honor your values and remember what is genuinely important in your life. End our society’s warped sense of what is honestly “needed” and what is merely “desired.” And now I will leave you with a quote from Thoreau: “It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” We do the best we can, and that is all that is expected of us, so act now and do not let insignificant material goods characterize you.