I'm having one of those moments where I wonder why I'm doing this.
Why am I giving up so much? Why am I giving up all the things that most Christians consider "okay"? Why am I giving up all the things I "need"?
During the past few weeks, it's as if I've been living my daily life with fresh eyes. Stores are no longer places you go to buy things. Most of them are squares in the intricate patchwork quilt of consumerism that is smothering out culture.
A year ago I was newly married and looking for a better-paying job. I remember looking forward to the cold weather. I thought about all the beautiful sweaters I wanted to buy once I had the money. I had moments where it almost became an obsession.
Contrary to popular belief, consumption is not a dead disease. My soul was sick with it for most of my life. It's still a danger to most Americans today.
I'm sitting here on another hot summer day, once again looking forward to cooler weather. But this time around, I have exactly two sweaters in my closet. They're not anywhere near as elaborate as the ones I used to want. Most of the time I wear shawls when it's cooler.
There's something about wrapping yourself in a simple piece of homemade cloth. It's reminiscent of Ghandi and Mother Teresa. They were not dependent on materialism.
I stare at my hand-knitted shawls, which are folded up on hangers in my closet for the summer. I realize a profound truth that has been overlooked for generations.
God did not create materialism. We were created in His image.
And that is why I must continue being crazy and giving up all the things I "need."
