Intruder Alert

 

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139

One of the unsettling facts of modern life is that there is no privacy. None. Everything we do is tracked, noted, and sold all willy-nilly to anyone and everyone willing to pay for it. Our cell phones listen in on our conversations so that the tech giants will know what our interests are so they can populate our “feeds” with anything remotely related to what we may be enticed to buy – not because we need those items, but because we may be interested in updating or upgrading what we have.

Such intrusions are so ubiquitous that we seldom know it’s even happening. Our grocery outlets have special membership cards so that they can fine-tune their coupons to our habits, or so they say. I often look at the coupons they print alongside the receipts and find that, not only do I never buy what they’re offering me a discount on, but they’re never for things I DO buy. In other words, keep paying full price for what you want, and start buying what you don’t want. Just because I like applesauce doesn’t mean I am interested in Huggies Diapers!

These things used to amuse me. I often joke that anyone listening in on my conversations must be in serious need of a sleep aid, but it’s getting ridiculous. 

My wife and I recently took a trip to get away from it all, enjoying a bit of Southwest Alaska. We’d been wanting to do that for ages. We had a nice time, and it was truly delightful being unplugged from the world. We did not avail ourselves of ship-board WI-FI. As you might have guessed, we are now inundated daily with two or three invitations to go cruising anywhere and everywhere, courtesy of every cruising outfit you can name.

My complaint isn’t really the lack of privacy as much as it is the faked interest in us. They’re not interested in us. They’re interested in our greenbacks. 

The other day a young man came up the driveway. I greeted him at the door, noting a clipboard in his hand. He introduced himself and before I could make a mental note of his name, he continued directly into his spiel, which started off with a compliment on our house and a question of just how old our windows are.

We have thermal pane windows; they work just fine; their seals are still intact and aside from needing a good cleaning (which will wait until spring, as it is 12 degrees at the moment), they are doing all I could hope or ask for. The young man stroked his chin in a most thoughtful manner and informed me that they were likely nearing the end of their useful lifespan, that they could easily fail soon, and if I were to let him in, he could make me a heck of a deal on new windows. 

I declined as politely as I could. I realized he was just doing a job. I can’t fault him for that. The point is, there is something wrong with a world that is so addicted to money. The appetite for cash is completely insatiable and unsustainable. Our appetites are driving us to our destruction.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be the world’s cash cow. I don’t want the universe to see me as nothing more than a fool to be parted from his money. I strive to be a caring, compassionate person, but I find it harder to do when so many interactions are transactions. We are what we eat. What’s worse, we become what eats us!

I guess I buck against the crass commercialism of our world, not because I am against money or profits, but because I don’t want that stuff to interfere with my relationship with God or neighbor. I can’t stop technology from invading my space, but I can limit the time and attention I give it. 

By doing that, I find myself fleeing toward God, and not away. Why? Because God knows my every thought, and instead of sending ads, God sends her Spirit, who comes with hugs and without coupons. As for my windows, I’ll change them when the pane makes it worth my while here in this, our valley.

Keith Axberg writes on matters concerning life and faith. Author of: Who the Blazes is Jesus? Good News for a Vulgar World (available through Amazon in Print and e-book)