I wake up each morning, not to the songs of birds (still winter) or a brilliant dawn (too early for that), but to what seems to be shouts of urgency. My morning inbox is bursting with exclusive deals that MUST be snatched up immediately – the one and only opportunity in your whole life that must not be missed. “Today only,” “Hurry,” “Save an extra 80 percent off,” “Exclusive for you,” “Your guilt-free shopping pass,” and of course the clincher: “Free shipping.” Who can resist? My favorite plea, so far, arrived in my inbox yesterday, “57 % off reusable tote, hair removal system, food dicer and more.” (I did not make that up). These cyber-words are carefully engineered to stir up dissatisfaction in us and carefully disguised as what you absolutely can’t live without, specifically targeted for you. Desperation is a powerful motivator, and it has taken up residence wherever your wireless sits.
The time we waste, those things we regret, the deals which promise what they have not the power to give: a new life, an amazing change, and miraculous deliverance from your miry bog (half-off, I’m sure). In fly-fishing, one uses artificial bait to attract fish on the surface of rapidly running water, a tiny little hand-tied temptation guaranteed to grab the attention of fish hurrying by. And in life, a lure is anything used as a means of attracting, by promising profit or pleasure. We fall for what has no substance, ignore what satisfies, and wonder why we are still hungry.
Use the internet gleefully, but beware of those well-dressed scoundrels who cry out in the bazaar, seeking to draw you in, drain you of time and cash, and leave you with a proverbial Groupon that you will never use. Make the most of your time. That is something that can never be returned.
Provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old…
Luke 12.33
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