With Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching, references to “supply chain” have become a topic of news and conversations as people express frustration that gifts they wanted to purchase might be out of stock or no longer available.
While it is understandable that we want our gifts to be special and meaningful for the recipient, there is concern that we could be disappointed this year. If we are unable to find that particular gift, what we were told as children, that “It’s the thought that counts,” might have to suffice.
If the gifts we want to give are hard to find this year, possibly this could be an opportunity to reflect upon whether we might be “possessed by our possessions” or, if not possessed, at least preoccupied with protecting them or holding on to them.
We can ask ourselves, beyond our basic needs, what is essential to our lives? Every time I move, I have to decide to keep what is important and to let go of things that aren’t — things that have been collected over time but add unnecessarily to the volume of things that have to be packed or moved.
Like many people, when I pack for a trip, I can easily overpack. The last time I flew, I had to pay extra because my suitcase was six pounds over the 50-pound limit. Why? Because I packed items I thought I had to have with me but which, I learned, I didn’t really need to bring.
One of the problems with material possessions is that, over time, they deteriorate, break or are no longer useful, e.g., eight-track tape players and computer floppy disks. Our attitudes toward goods change over time, too. As teens, we may have longed for a really nice car, something sporty to show off with friends. As we get older, priorities change, and possibly we just want something practical that will get us from place to place without breaking down.
The Church encourages us to pray for a sense of detachment from things, not because we shouldn’t have them and enjoy them, but to direct our focus more and more on Christ. As St. Paul wrote to the Philippians:
“I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things, I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need” (4:12).
In that same letter, Paul states, “Life is Christ” (1:21). What he has or doesn’t have materially is of little concern because he has Christ. We do, too. No matter how much we value our possessions, no matter what price a collector or appraiser might place upon them, they are really just more stuff. But unlike earthly possessions that are subject to the volatility of a supply chain, life in Christ is always available to everyone who seeks it.
As we go from store to store or, more likely, website to website, seeking the ideal gifts for friends and family members, let us keep the perspective of St. Paul. Pope Francis, speaking at World Youth Day in 2013, put it another way:
“Certainly, possessions, money and power can give a momentary thrill, the illusion of being happy, but they end up possessing us and making us always want to have more, never satisfied. ‘Put on Christ’ in your life, place your trust in him, and you will never be disappointed!”