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the life-changing magic of having things to share

November 12th, 2018 | 1 min read

By Matthew Loftus

Comment Magazine’s Seerveld Prize Winners have been announced, and the entries are a delight to read. I wanted to highlight Matt Miller’s entry in particular:

Consumerism, however, is a subtle demon, and it may not be readily exorcised through the practice of what The New York TimesMagazine called “the oppressive gospel” of minimalism. The minimalism of Kondo and the de-clutterers may help individuals lessen consumeristic behaviours, but it does not reckon with the spiritual or social effects of consumerism. De-cluttering, then, is a practice both shallow and narrow, falling short of a fully formed Christian attitude toward the stuff that fills our lives and our moving trucks. Christians must aim for a richer account of consumption and possession, one that reckons more fully with how we shape God’s creation through our getting, having, and disposing.

Matt’s website can be found here!

Matthew Loftus

Matthew Loftus teaches and practices Family Medicine in Baltimore and East Africa. His work has been featured in Christianity Today, Comment, & First Things and he is a regular contributor for Christ and Pop Culture. You can learn more about his work and writing at www.MatthewAndMaggie.org

Topics:

Family