Use of Parables and Consumerism

This is a review of Roger Hassett’s, The Power of Parables. Mr. Hassett’s a former religion teacher at the University of San Diego High School, San Diego, California. He discusses how one could use parables to teach a variety of lessons, by reading parables. First, help the students listen to the parables with their hearts and not their heads. He accomplishes that by leading the students in a guided-relaxation exercise called a stress inventory. It is a simple exercise in which the students assume a good posture, become aware of their breathing, and slowly relax each part of their bodies from head to toe. They can then focus better on the story. Once the students are relaxed, you can begin reading the parable. Be sure to bring it to life! Give each character a distinctive voice. Read slowly and carefully. Because the students are in a meditative state, they are quite open to the message, so take your time with it. When the story is completed, give the students a minute or two to come back to full consciousness. Then allow them five or ten minutes to write their reflections on the parable--their gut reactions to the story and where they find God, themselves, and others in it. Students use three questions about a given theme as it is presented in a particular parable:

1. Where am I with God in all of this?
2. Where am I with myself in all of this?
3. Where am I with others in all of this?

For this session, I have considered the use of THE RICH FOOL in Luke’s Gospel. This reading/parable is related to consumerism or materialism, which is the focus of this week’s reading.

Luke 12:13-21 [13] Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." [14] Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" [15] Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." [16] And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. [17] He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' [18] "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' [20] "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' [21] "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

As noted above, the focus this week is consumerism and America’s obsession with having more, and more never being enough. The readings are from The Anglican Theological Review, which include synopsis’ from, The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies by Robert E. Lane, Dematerializing: Taming the Power of Possessions by Jane Hammerslough, Luxury Fever: Money and Happiness in an Era of Excess by Robert Frank and so on. The article was good at summarizing the various larger stories, in the context of American’s always wanting more. The concept of Affluenza is introduced and our need to have more and more stuff is considered. The theory is that the more stuff we accumulate the happier we are supposed to become. However, that doesn’t always happen. What people are missing is a right relationship with God, but finding that in this consumer-driver society is difficult.

When you consider these readings, the theme of consumerism, and the use of parables, the parable exercise would be most beneficial with older students and/or adults. Since parables are sometimes difficult to dissect, use with younger students might be difficult, unless they are working in conjunction with older students or adults. For my lesson plan for this week, I team second-graders with their parents, in preparing for their first communion. The parable referenced in this article would be better suited with the children and adults working and discussing it together. The relaxing exercise wouldn’t work with younger children either, since that sort of activity is beyond their conception. The focusing is beneficial for more mature persons. Otherwise, I like the parable exercise, the use of guided relaxation, and the three focus questions. In using those concepts with the parable cited above, the theme of consumerism and materialism can be easily tied to God and His love; and the negativity of greed.