i am ... an american consumer

thanks to my sharp-eyed facebook friend mike clawson, i got to see this -- a church, somewhere in america (not important where) which has asked their members to donate stuff, and then on easter they are giving it all away.  the hope is, the lure of stuff will cause people to come hear a sermon about the free gift of salvation, and if only one person accepts jesus, it will all be worthwhile.  here's a photo of the lobby of their church:

 

reaction number one:

cripes, (to steal from doug pagitt) are you kidding me?  did anyone ask wwjd before they scheduled an orgiastic celebration of consumerism on easter?  did they read what jesus did in the temple?

reaction number two:

this is so us, so american, so perfect.  no matter what the problem is, the answer is always contained in consumption.  i fully recognize myself as the kind of person who causes this kind of ugliness.

how many times in the last 15 years have we been told that our best response to the crisis of the day way to keep buying stuff so that our lord and master, the american economy would not be troubled.

if there are problems of injustice, then our best response is to consume responsibly.

if there are problems of sustainability, then we are supposed to become green consumers.

therefore brethren, if we need jesus, there needs to be some way to connect jesus to consumption.

cripes!

we need to be listening to the voices who are trying to tell us that we have a name, a purpose, and a future that is more important than what we consume.  just because we consume doesn't mean why have to find our identity, either destructive or redemptive, through consumption.

 which brings me to the ipad.  this device is naked pornographic consumption, wrapped in in the bare amount of "pretend you will use it for work" clothing needed to get it past the censors.  this is a device which wants us to caress it, to bliss out on the gorgeous scenery as we buy buy buy and slowly sink into streaming stupor.

i was talking to the fabulous and fun ryan parker of poptheology.com about this device, and we both confessed that we were somehow in the grips of a strange need to own one of these, even though neither of us had any idea why, or what we would do with one if we had one.

this device is pure evil.

i want you all to read me this post, when i get my ipad.

Comments

[Todd Littleton]

Great post Michael. Was good to see you in Claremont. It has been quite some time.

[angi]

How can it be evil? Be a good Calvinist and recognize that it is all here for you to enjoy!

[Michael Toy]

I guess I need more education in the Calvinist perspective. So it goes, if I am willing to admit that apart from God I am in total depravity, I get Jesus and I can buy as many things with my shiny iPad as I want?

Hmm, wonder if that is a good trade. I sure would like to be a beloved part of a beautiful creation, but then I wouldn't get an iPad ...