‘I’ love Christmas
“Is it possible to overcome Western, white cultural captivity and pursue a biblical model of economic justice?” Soong-Chan Rah, [1].
$20. This is the amount gas that I put in my gas tank every time I stop at the station, whatever amount buys $20 worth. I do this for two reasons. The first is that I don’t know how much money is in my bank account and I really don’t like being at the till and told that I have insufficient funds in my account. And, the second reason is I believe that less gas is used if the car weighs less and that with pumping more gas into the car (ie. filling it up), thus increasing its weight, more gas is used. Thank you, Physics.
Sometimes, when I go to the gas station, I go inside to pay the cashier. There are so many colourful packages of tasty things on the shelves leading up to the cashier. I know on my way in that I will be distracted into finding something that I just might be needing. I could stand there for minutes, entranced by the packaging, brands, names and descriptions of contents. Simply, a stick of Halls is all I end up feeling that I need. It’s not so much for the taste nor is it to freshen my breath (though, I need that most of the time) and I don’t fall into consuming Halls for the packaging, the name or any kind of social status thing. It’s the feeling Halls makes happen in my throat that causes the air passing into my lungs to feel a little cooler. Addictive? The absolute worst is when I don’t have enough money in my account even for a stick of Halls 🙂
In his book Consuming Religion, North American Theologian Vincent Miller, explores the impact of consumerism on Western culture and religion. As one review (ironically, the Calvin Theological Journal, 2006) puts it,“Miller analyzes how consumer culture commodifies everything, including religious practice, making it impossible to confront it head on.” [2]. As commodities, we have a part to play in this. We are the reason for the money spent on time and labour, we are the commodity of their desire and their hope to be the ones we choose. That we might be their commodified, affected by certain strategic allure. In my opinion, there’s a play of seduction taking place for hearts and minds, this of manipulation and coercion, that is fueling the Market and the respective need for our individual longing. Miller writes that, “consumer desire is not really about attachment to things, but about the joys of desiring itself. It is the joy of endless seeking and pursuit.” [2]. This reminds me of a self-care treatment referred to as ‘Retail Therapy’, an emergency-response consumerism that can numb the pain and be coping mechanism through a period of joy depletion (ie. depression). There’s capital to be made on the consumer in both the ‘sunshine and rain’ [3].
John Pottenger, in his book The Political theory of Liberation Theology, refers to Liberation Theology as ‘at once a theological response to contemporary social problems as well as a result of those problems in the face of religious traditions and values.’ [4] There’s a pushback with Liberation Theology that is not only meant to create an equilibrium but, that is meant to awaken in the pursuit of what is true and just. We are being oppressed. Liberation Theology is a response to oppression. As a result of systemic oppression, even often manifested as a subliminal scheme, Liberation Theology rises up to expose the devious manipulation. With resolute (non-violent) solidarity, as one with the innocent (unsuspecting, vulnerable, unknowing) victim, Liberation Theology exclaims, ‘STOP IT!’ Following the reading of Miller in this post, the focus of such oppressive systems is set on consumerism within our western culture and as affecting the integrity of our community as followers of Jesus Christ.
We have cared deeply for the redemption of the world around, believing that we (representatives of Jesus, commonly known as ‘people who go to church’) are set apart. Miller acknowledges that “Christian communities are marked by the same instabilities that postmodern anthropologists find in other cultures.” [5]. He goes on to make resoundingly clear that the line “Christian communities may wish to define themselves over and against the outside world” is unclear, indistinct. Redemption is needed on the inside. And, if our hope is to rekindle a hint of relevance today in the world that lives in plastic, an honest evaluation and reimagining of our presence and expression in the world is necessary. We have to be real. What does real mean to us? May we learn once again about what it means to follow Jesus Christ, the broken mistake-makers we are, with integrity and intention to be uncompromising. This is a risk. There’s another option which looks like Christmas as usual, ‘What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’ [6]. The problem with this wide road, is that all is lost.
The cost is great to live and die in a world of fake. Everything is consumed. There’s a plethora of options for our desires even, to break free and give abiding in Jesus Christ a try. And, if that doesn’t work there’s Yoga. There are a lot of great seminars (ie. MindValley, the Landmark Forum and TonyRobbins) for all kinds of people to feel good and to find joy. Perhaps not unbeknownst to them, they are targeted, both them and their cash flow. Seemingly, there’s no gap to the corruption. (I’m not going to start writing yet about the commodity of poverty and its attraction to the wealthy consumer.) Soong-Chan Rah believes the solution for the American evangelical church is “to break the shackles of consumerism and materialism and turn instead toward biblical values in understanding and measuring success.” [1].
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” [7]
Consider a seed planted in good soil, how it bursts forth to life, out from a dark and hidden place.
Bibliography
[1] Rah, Soong-Chan. The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity. InterVarsity Press. 2009.
[2] Bloomsbury. “Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practise in a Consumer Culture.” Accessed February 8, 2020. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/consuming-religion-9780826417497/
[3] Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock. “Joy and Pain”. Released: 1988. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hBaOlNVl9o
[4] Pottenger, John R. The Political Theory of Liberation Theology: Toward a Reconvergence of Social Values and Social Science. State University of New York Press. 1989.
[5] Miller, Vincent J. Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture. New York, Continuum: 2003.
[6] Mark 8:36. New International Version.
[7] 1 Samuel 16:7. New International Version.
About the Author
Chris Pollock
Dad of Molly Polly Pastor at the Mustard Seed Street Church Trail Runner4 responses to “‘I’ love Christmas”
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Chris,
Thank you! I am amazed at a how many times the world tries to fix things without taking into consideration the brokeness and influence of sin on the human condition. No matter how many self help books a person reads nothing significant will happen until they take a deep look inside. The problem with a consumer culture is we are busy masking and trying to fill a void that only Jesus can fill.
These past weeks have really challenged my assumptions, habits, behaviors. As a leader, how (if at all) are you integrating these ideas into your ministry? – asking for a friend 🙂
I think liberation theology has the roots of something powerful for today’s western Evangelicalism. To be tenable to most, it will need to divorce itself of Marxist underpinnings, in my opinion.
I agree (on your Marxism point, to a point…I’m not ready yet for a full opinion on this). And, I appreciate your perspective on solidarity mentioned a few weeks ago. May a spiritual discipline for our time (different than those encouraged by Emerging Church movement streaming from ancient Church history, which are cool and still becoming popular) be innovated by solidarity?