Black Greed

Today, or Yesterday I should say, was one of the craziest shopping days of the year. After seeing people lined up at 3 PM waiting for the opening of a store at 5 AM, I knew it was going to be pretty crazy, and I was right. After reading this story, I’m not only amazed at the greediness of our country, but I’m also shocked at how caught up in materialistic things our country is. Not to mention, the lack of concern for a persons life. I guess I never thought our country was THAT greedy, or materialistic.  

Who ever thought a simple shopping trip to Wal-Mart would end someone up in the hospital, or even worse, dead? What really annoys/amazes/shocks/irritates me is how the customers responded to the poor Wal-Mart worker lying in the floor. “Shoppers stepped over the man on the ground and streamed into the store.” Are you kidding me? If all the shoppers were lying in the floor would they want people to step over them and not even care they were hurt? Apparently the golden rule has been lost in our society. Even the Wal-Mart workers trying to help the man were being shoved out of the way. 

On top of all this after the customers were told the man was hurt, even dying, what do they only care about? The deals, the bargains. Instead of responding with care, and concern they instead shout and refuse to leave just because they had been in line since who knows when. WHO CARES? Why does it really matter how long you’ve stood in line? Is not a persons life more valuable than a 9$ DVD? 

After reading this story, and hearing about the madness of today, I’ve come to realize two things about our country. The first being greed will drive a person crazy, and our country is very greedy. Why else would someone camp out in front of their favorite store all night? Why else would people go insane when the doors are open? All for worldly possessions that won’t last even a year, because this time next year people will be doing the same thing maybe even for bigger, better, versions of the same things bought this year. 

The next being our country is way to focused on materialistic things. Worldly things. Worldly possessions. Our country needs to realize these things are not going to grant them eternal life. I love the verse in the Bible that says “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 . Earthly things are temporary. Things above are eternal. People are so obsessed with earthly things, they are forgetting what really matters. 

I’m not saying everyone who goes shopping on this crazy shopping day are greed obsessed, and will trample somebody to get what they want. I’m just saying some people put WAY too much value on good bargains and perhaps loose perspective of what is really important. There is a right way and a wrong way to shop for good bargains. Obviously, trampling someone to get in the door is the wrong way. 

With all this in mind, I’m still amazed and shocked. I have decided “Black Friday” should be changed to “Black Greed”.