I’m increasingly thinking that the all too common charge of consumerism is missing the real issue.

Consumerism is a symptom, but not the only one of what I think is the deeper problem

The problem isn’t that we idolize stuff. The problem is that we are our own idols.

The stuff becomes the offerings we give to ourselves. We are both the idol and the altar.

We think we are owed such stuff by some perceived inherent status.

It’s not just stuff.

People who aren’t into all the stuff are into acclaim, or influence, or telling others what to do, or thinking themselves the judge of what others are doing.

We are our own idols, and expect the world and the firstfruits of it, to acknowledge our status.

We say we worship God, but we’re always there in front, each of us a golden calf that we worship and want others to worship.

We say we deserve it. So much that we’ll treat others badly or dismiss them if they don’t respond.

There are whole cults like this.

It’s the cult where everyone is their own self-idol and create contexts where they encourage others to be a self-idol as well.

Worship me. That’s what we say to ourselves as we present offerings aplenty to satisfy our inner demands.