Just a few days ago I was having a conversation with a friend of mine about some contrasts we have noticed between life in the United States and life in other countries. Both of us have lived in foreign countries and often been faced with the challenge of explaining our country to others who have never been here. To many people we have both encountered, the United States looks like the "land of promise". It is an ideal place where everyone is wealthy, everyone is successful, and we all have fancy houses. In short, it is a wealthy place and it is desirable.
On the outside, that perception of the United States seems pretty accurate. What I have come to realize more acutely then ever is that it is actually quite rare for people to actually own all the stuff they use. You see, the truth is that we live in houses owned by a bank or real estate company, drive cars leased from a dealer, sit on furniture leased from a store, and watch sports on a high definition TV that was paid for with a credit card that is maxed out. Much of the United States has the appearance of wealth, but really what we truly have is a staggering amount of debt. As foreclosures continue to rise and our economy slows down, maybe it is a good time to take a step back and realize the absurdity of our current system. We live much of our lives working hard to pay of the debt that we owe to others because we insist on living at a level that we have not yet actually attained!
There is much more that could be said but alas, time is running short for me. I just hope that I can live my life in a way that doesn't give the appearance of wealth through large amounts of debt. Maybe I will rent an apartment with my family for the rest of our lives, I don't know, but I will do all that I can to avoid accumulating a large amount of debt in order to live a "dream" that really wouldn't be so enjoyable with a large chain of debt around my neck.
So to my friends overseas, though we may look wealthy, much of our wealth is really just large golden chains of debt that keep us pushing and fighting for more all the time. Sometimes we work multiple jobs, we sacrifice friendships and time with family, and lust after the newest things. Does that sound like a dream? Not to me. But I will say that it is incredibly hard to not buy into this debt cycle when we are constantly bombarded with another advertisement for a new credit card, or a new loan, or an offer to buy now and pay later. God, give us eyes to see through all these lies. Grant us the wisdom to live in a way that doesn't burden us with debt. God help us all.
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