Written by: Stefania Tarasut on March 2, 2014

Book: The Rebel Sell by Heath/Potter

Reading through “The Rebel Sell” over the past few days has stirred in me a million different emotions. Every paragraph seemed to challenge, annoy, convict or put a smile on my face. There are soo many things that I would love to include in this post, but I need to narrow it down.

First, consumerism has caused the objectification of social relationships (p22). I have to admit that at first I rolled my eyes as I read that, but as I continued reading and as I started looking at the world around me, I’m convinced that this is true. Relationships are disposable. Isn’t that sad? If I don’t agree with you, or if you don’t benefit me in some way, then you are not important to me… I can walk away from you. We pretend that relationships are optional, but in reality it’s the one thing we all crave… to be loved and to be knows. Capitalism gives us the sense that we can buy everything, including happiness, but in reality, relationships are the only thing that money can’t buy… and they bring real happiness… at least the happiness we all crave and long for.

Second, I remember when the series “Mad Men” first came on TV. I remember watching it and being in awe of the power of advertisement, and how it changed the world. Heath and Potter say that, “Unlike religion, which promised paradise after death, advertising promised paradise right around the next corner: through purchase of a new car, a suburban home or a labor-saving appliance. Consumer goods had become the new opiate…” (p28) I can’t believe that we fall for this over and over and over again. How is it that we are soo quick to trade the eternal for the temporal? How is it that we’re soo quickly and easily satisfied by the things that don’t matter? I don’t understand… honestly! How is it that we who know Christ long for the “American Dream” when Christ spoke soo strongly against it.

This week the Huffington Post reported that Ken Ham, the founder of the Creation Museum has raised $73 million dollars to build “a fake Noah’s ark.”[1] Seriously? In a world that is suffering Christians are distracted by things that don’t matter. Reading “The Rebel Sell” and then reading the Huffington Post article made me want to burry my head in sand.

Once again, I’m left with questions and no answers… Every week I learn more, I see more and hopefully I understand a little more… but I’m at a loss on how to live. How do I put all this knowledge into practice.

About the Author

Stefania Tarasut