Nutella and the American Epidemic: Entitlement

One thing that living overseas has inevitably taught me, is that the United States falls incomprehensibly short of its’ romanticized and glorified mentality. 

A few days ago, our team had the privilege of getting our host, Fabi to go to the store and buy us some much needed groceries, with a few snacks as well. I had asked for Nutella if possible. 

The next day, to my excitement, a small glass jar of Nutella was awaiting me in all its glory. It was my prized possession, my favorite snack, something that was well “deserved” after a long day of work. 

So that day, after a long, nine hour day of manual labor, I pulled out the fresh jar of Nutella and a spoon to indulge. Before I had even ripped the lid off, one of the El Refugio staff members, a humorous and friendly man who had become nothing short of family in the past months, sat down next to me and pulled out a spoon, ready to help himself. 

In all honesty, I was a little struck. I mean, come on, does he understand how much this means to me? Why does he feel entitled to MY stuff? 

Reluctantly, I gave him a spoonful which turned into spoonful for all the other Ecuadorian staff members as well, until my prized possession had merely one spoonful left.

I remember thinking what a small thing it was and how it represented such a difference in cultures. They share everything they have without question or remorse while we protect our materialistic items with greed and entitlement. 

While they focused on the Nutella as communal, I focused on the Nutella as individual. 

A mentality that is a product of a hyper individualistic culture that fuels the idea of self entitlement and indulgence. 

I thought of Jesus, and what he would have said about our world of self focus and individualistic society and I realized that Jesus was the most counter-cultural person I’ve ever known.

Everything that Jesus taught was against self glorification, self entitlement and self indulgence. He says in Luke 14, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple.” 

What Jesus is trying to explain is that the point of loving and following God is not to make our lives easy and indulging, following God and his kingdom demands everything, it demands a life of abandonment and following Jesus through the day and the night. It demands a life of Jesus first, not me first. 

I believe that one of the most infectious diseases in the United States is the obsession with self. An obsession that leads to an aroma of entitlement and deservance when the Bible tells us that humans deserve death. 

And even though we “deserve” death, Jesus gave us life and peace and grace and eternity. It is the most beautiful love story to ever be understood and we allow it to slip underneath our noses as we convince ourselves that the goal of this life is to satisfy our desires and demand instant gratification. 

I think back to the night of the Nutella, where I went back to my room with an empty Nutella jar, frustrated because I was robbed of something I deserved. 

Then convicted, utterly convicted to the reality of my ignorance. 

How can I sit here and decide what I do and do not deserve when Jesus, the only holy and blameless man, lived his life as a servant and subjected himself to brutal cruxification on a cross. 

Living in Ecuador has taught me so much, one of the most important being the focus on family and community, love that is sacrificial not individual. I am so grateful that the Father reveals his heart through the people and experiences around me. 

Maybe next time I get a jar of Nutella, I’ll bring more than one spoon to the table.