celebration

As I comfortably sat on a warm sleeping bag, covered with a large blanket and layers of clothing, snug between family and friends, I realized I have much to celebrate. Having filled my stomach from a delicious and abundant meal in the company of friends and family and after exercising my fatigued legs by playing football, the laughter and cheers accompanying the firework display were easily absorbed by my attentive ears. I reflected on the luxuries and privileges I easily and undeservedly obtain as a middle-class Canadian. Yet I am burdened that my materially extensive world contrasts the life of billions of materially deprived people. The question now becomes not one of who possesses more but who is more possessed? While affluence supposedly leads to happiness, comfort, joy, and betterment, poverty is supposed to lead to sickness, death, pain, and sorrow. Affluent nations possess more: more money, more resources, more education, more space, more medicine, more. Incidentally, affluent nations are more possessed: controlled by the advertising companies, controlled by credit card businesses, controlled by money, controlled by human lusts for things. Non-affluent nations possess less: fewer resources, fewer opportunities for vocational change, fewer policies, less available money, less. Similarly, non-affluent nations are less possessed by human desires. Whereas non-affluent nations certainly demonstrate an acute awareness of the spiritual, of God, and of community, affluent nations rely more on human derivatives. In short, affluent nations seem to be possessed by the pursuit of acquisition, while non-affluent nations submit to the power of God for fulfillment of life and of needs.

I wonder how my needs will change, increase, or decrease, when I leave my home of 22 years. But this I do know: I am loved by God. I am loved by my family. I am loved by my friends. Because of God's love I will love. I will love my new family, my new home, my new community, my new environment, my new friends. I will celebrate my life: the riches, the poverty, the beauty, the pain, the maturation, the vulnerability, the talents, and the weaknesses. I will possess less things and be less possessed by things.