From The Story of Stuff:

“Our enormously productive economy . . . demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption . . . we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate.”
Victor Lebow, Journal of Retailing, quoted in Durning, How Much is Enough? (1992)

The first reaction to this video will be: '20 minutes! I don't have that kind of time.' That was mine, anyway. But then I made the time, and the twenty minutes of checking email or reading the news was worth giving up.

'The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.'

In this twenty minute video, which doesn't seem like twenty minutes and moves along quickly with easy to follow arguments and illustrations, we come to understand where our stuff comes from, where it's going, and how it's hurting our lives along the way.

All this stuff has made life much easier, but it's hurting our planet, and I believe stuff prevents us from developing deep, close relationships with one another and with God. Television, shopping, and many more things can all interfere with us spending time in conversation, in prayer, seeking out the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps this video will help you realize the huge role 'stuff' plays in our lives, and in realizing that we will begin to fight it and find ways to treasure simple walks in the woods, quiet time in prayer, and a good meal with good friends.