In a classic scene from Seinfeld, several of the characters are hanging around, as usual, in Jerry’s apartment.  At one point, George asks Jerry’s neighbor Newman, “Just what is it you do for a living, anyway?”  Newman responds, “I’m a United States Postal Worker.”  George replies, “Aren’t those the guys that go crazy and bring a gun to work and shoot up the place?”  Newman narrows his eyes and says, “Sometimes.” 

Amid much canned laughter, Jerry asks, “Why is that?”  Then, Newman goes on a mini-tirade:  “Because the mail never stops,” and he goes through a recitation of all the various regular items people receive in the mail in mass volume that have to be processed and delivered, losing control along the way, and concluding with, “and then it’s Publisher’s Clearing House day…”  He barely can stand the thought.

It turns out the U.S. Postal Service is staring down a $1 billion deficit, unless something can be done to reverse the trends.  Meanwhile, as many as 18 states are considering legislation to accommodate consumers who desire a “Do Not Mail” list along the lines of the wildly popular “Do Not Call” program that eliminates most solicitations over the telephone.

People are getting fed up with all the junk mail, including the never-ending stream of catalogues, credit card offers, and other advertisements that litter mailboxes every single day.

One of the difficulties is that with email, online bill paying, and competition from private delivery services, post office revenues from first class mail and parcel delivery have taken a dramatic plunge.  Over the previous three-year period, the number of items mailed first class has nose-dived by two million pieces.  Junk mail has increased by three billion pieces. Income from last year’s holiday season was less than the year before, a first in post office history. 

The Postmaster General is tearing his hair out trying to think of ways to overcome the projected deficit and establish additional revenue streams.  One idea is to have retail outlets inside post offices, renting space.  Think Starbucks or your local bank having a counter at the post office.  Rules regarding the use of federal property would have to be bent to the point of breaking in order to allow this.

Is it worth all the junk mail, with the destruction of trees for paper production, the use of environmental-unfriendly inks, stickers, plastic bags and other accoutrements related to many of the unwanted items delivered to our homes, in order to keep the post office in business?  How would prices of consumer goods be affected if the costs from printing and mailing were significantly reduced for retailers?  How much more breathing space and time would folks have if there weren’t so much junk mail piling up around us?

You know, when I think about it, this whole issue is kind of a metaphor for Lent, and the spiritual discipline of clearing the decks in our lives, eliminating the junk that suffocates our hearts and minds, in order to make more room for a meaningful relationship with God in our lives.