ON IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR
Author: Fr. Michael Byron
January 26, 2020
Retailers
know very well that there is much money to be made as the result of shoppers’
thoughtless impulses. When I buy gasoline for my car, it is one of the few
moments of the week when I am forced to stand around and do nothing in a place
where I’d rather not have to be. Suddenly I become red meat for the
advertisers.
First,
before I can indicate my preference for gas, the machine will ask me if I want
a car wash. No, I want gas. That’s why I’m here. Then, once I’m allowed to fill
the tank, I am confronted with a mini TV on the top of the pump telling me
about all of the things that I can buy inside the convenience store—none of
which I had come to buy. The store knows that. And if I do happen to enter the
store for some reason, I can’t get to the cashier without being presented with
a last chance array of candy and junk food and magazines and lottery tickets,
just on the off chance that I didn’t know that I wanted them.
And it’s not
just the gas stations. Have you ever tried to get from the rear of a Target
store to the checkout lanes by walking in a straight line? It can’t be done.
Have you ever been in the IKEA store and wondering where the exit is? That’s not
by mistake. And let’s not even mention what happens when shopping on line.
And it must
work, all of this noise and clutter. There really must be quite a lot of people
who say, “Oh! Yeah! I guess I’ll buy one of those, now that you ask.” Impulse
buying is a big source of profits for vendors, but we usually don’t think of it
as a very noble activity for shoppers. In fact, we usually regard it as a
weakness, even when we do it ourselves. I came here to buy one thing, and now
I’ve bought something else too. We often try to rationalize that decision by
telling ourselves that it isn’t such a big deal. And maybe it’s not. But it’s
not something we are proud of.
Impulse
buying happens when people aren’t really sure about what they want, or what
they need, or what they have come to look for. And so they—we—I—become prey to
whatever thing of the week that someone wants to use to get our attention and
our money. It’s manipulation—at least for those who haven’t really considered
carefully what exactly they have come to do.
And so there
is great wisdom in pondering just what that thing is that we desire and that we
need, not only in the store but all the more importantly in life. Impulsiveness
is all the more tragic when it involves the things that matter most. In today’s
gospel of Matthew, Jesus begins his ministry by calling the first of those who
will become the 12 apostles—Peter and Andrew, James and John. And their
response to Jesus’ summons to them on the shore of the sea could easily be read
as impulsive. We have no evidence that any of these men had ever met Jesus
before—or perhaps even have heard of him. Yet their response to his summons is
to abandon their livelihood and their families—not one of these days after
careful consideration, but “at once,” “immediately.” They just walked away from
all they knew to follow a person whom they did not know and who disclosed
nothing yet about where they were going or what they’d be doing together.
What sane
person does that? It could only be one of two sorts of people. Either one who
is dangerously, recklessly gullible and prone to foolish impulsive decisions.
Or it could be one who has spent a lifetime considering his/her situation in
the world, and evaluating the state of things and of the human family, and who
has come to understand just what sort of remedy is needed, and who will be the
bearer of that mission, and seeking how to recognize that someone when he
should arrive and issue the call.
These first
four disciples of Jesus were ready to walk in to mystery with the one whom they
already were willing to trust, to recognize, whose work of kingdom—building
they were able to take on as their own…because they already were prepared to
know him. Their “yes” to the summons was not one of rash impulse. It was the
fruit of prayer, study of their Sacred Scripture and religious tradition, and
of their paying attention to the world around them—it’s darkness and longings
and hopes and dreams amid God’s promises.
When Jesus
came calling, they were able to say an immediate yes, because they had awaited
him with longing for years. They hadn’t yet met, but he was no stranger. Their
assent was not foolish impulse or thoughtless attraction. It was the result of
very hard work, as well as the stirrings of grace in their hearts.
So it still is
for us. Our Lord still calls, and the very same kinds of discernment are still
the way that people are made ready to welcome him today—prayer, wisdom,
learning, community, and especially Eucharist. When Jesus shows his face and
invites us into his company, we also can be ready with our “yes.”
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