This question came up a little while ago in a conversation with my son, who is now 10. We were listening to some news item on the radio, and he asked a question about it. In response I explained that every individual, family, community, and even every culture has something that it will regard as its highest priority. Whenever it comes to a choice between that and anything else, the highest priority wins out.
He understood that. No problem.
"What", I asked him, "do you think is Canada's highest priority today?"
He thought about it for a while and then said, "Oh, growing the economy. How stupid."
10 years old, and I completely agree with him. Not just about what the highest priority seems to be here, but his assessment, too. How stupid. Is the environment important? Of course it is, but in our country we seem to place the economy as a higher priority. Are families important? Sure, but not as important as growing our economy, at least judging by our laws and the decisions that businesses and our government makes. And don't get me wrong, the economy is important, but just not as important as we think.
Somehow, over the years, we have fallen prey to the idea that growing the economy is the be-all and end-all, that we must do all we can to somehow keep it growing. But we have forgotten that it is just a tool. Without the environment, there would be no economy. Without families, the economy would be meaningless. There are many things that are more important.
I was recently talking to a friend from Africa, and he made an interesting point. He said that the West loves to put itself forward as an example for others. He pointed to many things that I have long taken for granted, things I have never questioned, having lived in this culture my entire life. He spoke of materialism in a way I have never heard.
He asked me, for example, what constitutes success. Is it synonymous with material wealth? Of course not. But then what does success mean?
As a small business owner, he made me ask what the purpose of business is. “What happens”, he wondered, “when the desire for greater profit is accepted as the fundamental principle of business?” Isn't the purpose of business to help build community, while at the same time allowing people to make a living? Not a killing, but a living.
“What happens when science is considered a business? Or what about education?” These are not businesses, to bend to the whim of various economic theories or vested interests. They are fundamental aspects of society and civilization that demand to convey truth.
In so many fields we are finding the spread of materialistic ideas perverting the very basis of their existence. Whether it is the news media that is now often used to merely entertain and sensationalize, or the scientific research stations that are seen as nothing more than mouthpieces for the promotion of powerful interest groups in society, it seems that we have forgotten what is truly important.
So, when looking at your own life, deciding how to spend your time, your energy, your money, ask yourself "What is at the centre of my decision? What is my highest priority?" Your answer may just surprise you.
Mead Simon is a member of the Baha'i international community and can often be found writing his blog at onebahai.blogspot.com .
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking HERE
