Shopping

Here we go. This is one of those recurring conversations between Courtney and me. What is the role of shopping in our culture and in our own lives? What should it be?

We believe that it may have very well surpassed baseball in being America's national pastime. How often is it that you want to go do something with your family, and the only thing you can come up with is shop.

Now I admit, this sounds a little weird coming from a guy, but I see lots of guys browsing sporting good stores and electronic stores eyeing that piece of equipment that is going to set them free to a life of pure enjoyment.

Tonight was one of those nights. We left my aunt's house and were heading home, but we were half-way to 3/4 way to Waco, so we felt like we should go explore the "big city." So, what did we do? We went shopping. We only bought a few t-shirts for the boys, so we didn't spend that much, but we did look. I dutifully went to Best Buy and looked at various electronic gadgets I didn't need. Strangely I felt drawn to them as if they would somehow improve my quality of life even though I wouldn't really use them at all or all that much.

In many ways we are defined by our stuff. It signals to others who we are, what our values are, and what we are worth. If buying determines your existence, shopping is a dang important activity. You might even call it religious. To extend the analogy, buying is sacrifice, shopping is spiritual discipline, and the marketers are our priests.

Anyway, this is my paradigm for shopping. I think it is part of the broader materialistic idolatry that pretty much engulfs the American church, evangelical and non. Sadly, I am not that different. It is really a constant struggle to not be almost completely swept up in the world's gods and ignore the one true God who purchased me and validated that my existence is of infinite worth. Believing this is the only way the church will be able to free itself from this enslavement.

Just so you don't either think I am totally wacko or a genius, most of these ideas are highly derivative. Two books that have particularly influenced me are Lead us into Temptation by James Twitchell and Bobos in Paradise by David Brooks. I was also influenced by John Meuther at RTS in a couple of classes.

Oh yeah. Buy the books by clicking on our link so we can make some extra money to go shopping with! Is there a smiley for "like gag me with a roll of quarters?" :-@