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Everyone at some point enjoys the consumption of a particular good, item and commodity. For example, I consume a certain amount of information weekly as I read the different books assigned in my doctoral program. I think that consuming is not the problem in and of itself\u2019, but it\u2019s extremes to which humanity can be susceptible. \u00a0Heath and Potter in their book \u201cRebel Sell: How the Counterculture Became Consumer Culture\u201d successfully articulate the ongoing uneasiness and tensions that accompany the markets, capitalism, consumerism and the challenges of their counter movements. \u00a0The book tries to draw attention to a consumer\u2019s quest for distinction and not conformity. \u00a0In fact the authors\u2019 arguments further shade a beaming light of doubt on the radical notion of a countercultural approach to people\u2019s purchasing power. Heath and Potter write:<\/p>\n
Over the past half-century, we have seen the complete triumph of the consumer economy at the same time that we have seen the absolute dominance of countercultural thinking in the \u2018marketplace of ideas\u2019. Is this a coincidence? Countercultural theorists would like to think that their rebellion is merely a reaction to the evils of the consumer society. But what if countercultural rebellion, rather than being a consequence of intensified consumerism, were actually a contributing factor?[1]<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n If the above assertion was ratified, then the countercultural school of thought is a case of perhaps a good idea that suffers from arrested development. Where does that leave the Church which in the resent past has tried to wake up to the push and pull of the market and capitalism to which it\u2019s historically tied to the hip? When a countercultural strategy against consumerism arises from a rebellious spirit that is self-defeating, it seems fitting for the church to reach for its biblical values that call it to a spirit of giving. \u201cIn all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, \u2018It is more blessed to give than to receive.\u201d What a counteracting piece of wisdom!<\/p>\n This reflection is personal because I belong to the Church and have found myself compelled to think about the nature and impact of capitalism and consumerism now that I live in the Northwest. Since I have had the privilege of experiencing a variety of cultures, I should point out that the materialism gap that exists between the United States compared to other contexts is dynamically relative. While a certain church in the West might be concerned about fundraising for new carpet, brighter stage lights and better media equipment, a particular church in Uganda might be concerned with feeding vulnerable children on the village. Such church disparities between the Western Church\u2019s economy and the East African Church\u2019s economy have left me quite ambivalent about the Western Church\u2019s countercultural cry against the Church\u2019s evident attachment to market. I have heard people say to me \u201cI am looking for a church that fits my interests, from worship style to sermon\u201d, \u201cwe are as a family are shopping around for a church that has great kids\u2019 programming\u201d and the list goes on. \u00a0How is that different from what Sandel writes regarding the regular market culture?<\/p>\n Today many commuters can seek to purchase a quick ride in the car pool lane. For fees of up to $10 during rush hour, solo drivers can buy the right to use car pool lanes. San Diego, Minneapolis, Houston, Denver, Miami, Seattle, and San Francisco are among the cities that now sell the right to a faster commute. The toll typically varies according t the traffic-the heavier the traffic, the higher the fee.[2]<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Consuming market services is unavoidable and even consumerism is pardonable. I am convinced that the church should be consumed by the desire to share the good news of Jesus Christ, both word and deed with people. The global Church ought to prioritize the generous giving of the majority of its resources towards human flourishing as an expression of God\u2019s love. For what does it profit a church to gain the whole world and lose its central gospel centered purpose?<\/p>\n\n
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