There are few beings on earth as happy as a farmer with a new pick-up truck. The first few dozen trips to town are among the most enjoyable times he will ever have. He will often make up reasons to drive his new truck to town. He may even take the family to church. “Jes’ thought I’d bring the wife into town for dinner.” will be a line he’ll rehearse in the event he sees anyone he knows. And, he’ll be looking.
If someone should be so impolite to share the thought that Heaven is even better than a new pick-up truck, the farmer will look sideways, smile the smile reserved for dealing with sure and certain idiocy, and agree until the subject can return to the important details he’s memorized about his new truck.
Then, he’ll drive somewhere else with new ways to explain the goodness of what he has.
Two or three years later, when the truck is starting to show signs of wear and two or three years of payments remain, the trips aren’t quite as enjoyable. But, the farmer still thinks of the truck as “new”.
Dents, dings, wear and tear make this illusion one that must pass. After a while, or maybe an unexpectedly good price for grain, the farmer will get a new truck. And, know great joy.
Where does this joy come from? What makes this happiness so great?
Catholic Fundamentalism suggests a new kind of spiritual being. Spirits of Transient Joy jump into people as they get closer to buying something new. Where do they come from? Are there are “spiritual apartment houses” at every retailer? Do Spirits of Transient Joy live there until they leave with the purchaser?
No one in any business ever talks about them, but the entire economy is based on convincing people that they need a “Spirit of Transient Joy” to move into their mind. The “Spirit of Transient Joy” will bring such happiness that most of us are easily convinced that they only way we can experience that happiness is to make the prospective purchase, and doing it “Right Now!”
Whether buying a home, a mansion, a mink, a Timex, a Rolex, a rowboat, a yacht, palace, an appropriate “Spirit of Transient Joy” will move into one’s mind for awhile.
Spirits of Transient Joy can be very costly. The highest price we pay for a Spirit of Transient Joy to live in us is in being distracted from getting our soul closer to God. We may do that through having and caring for children and our own soul’s well-being. We do not get closer to God by buying more things that we don’t need. Hopefully, we will be forgiven when we realize how silly such things are.
A Spirit of Transient Joy is extremely expensive. Beware the Spirits of Transient Joy.
