My new friend, Hermann, raises the important issue of consumerism in the context of South Africa, and it gave me some pause. My response (with trackback) is below:
Hermann,
Consumerism (and many other issues) are easy for me to talk negatively about. In fact, few of my Christian friends fail to recognize the problem. I think though that it’s when we are ready to do something about the problem in our own lives that things will change. For some that will mean big changes, like valuing the handicapped in a DMV line as you mentioned. For you and me though, that will probably mean something harder, because we don’t face that struggle.
Consumerism Where it Hits Home
Let’s take events we do with our friends in our community of faith. How many of them are things that the poor or the working poor or the homeless can participate in?
Or we could look at our tendency to buy on a whim and have a hundred different CDs here in the US. It’s not a sin to do so, but it is a sin to be trapped by our need for these things and unchecked spending on little things that add up.
I can’t say I know what deeper struggles are in your community.
You see my struggle. It’s not that I can say “STOP DOING THAT” about most practices that may well lead us into sin. It requires that I carefully evaluate my own life and equip others to evaluate theirs. Most campaigns I hear of fail to do that on any deep level. Perhaps it’s because thinking followers of Christ in our circles aren’t speaking to that issue.
On Churches
You also speak to the matter of churches that are continually making things easier for people and perhaps denying the true difficulties of life. It’s true. There are some that don’t just roll out the red carpet, but tell people they live in a red carpet world now that they’ve found God.
I think it’s sad, and I won’t shy from speaking in love to those who believe or were taught that. At the same time, I think the only way to affect broad cultural change on this issue is to affect broad local change first.
The Real Question?
Perhaps then your real question is, “What truths do we teach people in our local communities so they can make wise purchases and don’t remain tied to the things that they buy and the identity they depend on it to create?” That’s a question I need a bit more time to think on. The answer would hopefully be something that could be shared community-wide in plays, stories, open discussions and with close friends in ways that would ignite personal passions.
I look forward to dialoging with you more about this topic. I think your unique place in the world and your other writings point to a good and meaningful conversation.
Are there more subtle issues of consumerism in the local body in South Africa that you’d care to share?
Parke
8 comments
Comments feed for this article
Trackback link
http://parke.voxtropolis.com/2006/03/16/a-response-on-consumerism/trackback/
Wednesday May.24.2006 at 12:51 am PDT
Pingback from Tales by the Fire » Blog Archive » A Response to Consumerism - Part 2
Thursday March.16.2006 at 7:46 am PST
Renaissance Innovation
Parke
For now, one issue!
This issue is why I left full time ministry, started a business and now do ministry free of charge. I am now where most other Christ followers are, in the world.
The issue is that I found that the church where I was involved, became very big and we were really punting the seeker-style of minstry which brought a lot of traditional Christians to our congregation. We didn’t see any new believers just the nomadic consumer, coming towards the better service.
When the church grew big, the salaries of the pastors really shot through the roof and soon the two top dogs were living in the most expensive property estates in Johannesburg and they were driving expensive sportscars. They felt like they deserved it. I was on the executive so I confronted the issue and that lead to me moving out of fulltime ministry.
What message are we who live in the Kingdom giving to those we need to witness to?
If we mix capatalism with Christianity, do we get the modern church?
This happens across the board in SA. White and black!
My answer to this dilemma was to quit getting money for ministry and rather earn an income from outside of the church and still minister as strong as always. Many people were disillusioned by this specific church and now I hope to build a movement with lay-minsters, where there is no financial gain. Is this the right move? I don’t konw, but minstry is not there to feed our culture of consumerism.
Does this resonate Parke?
Thursday March.16.2006 at 8:13 am PST
Dustin
Parke,
I understand your dilemma, and have constantly struggled with how I reconcile my consumer-driven life with the faith I hold and the ministry I am involved in. To me, it seems that my focus is the issue, not the “stuff.” God is not concerned with what “stuff” I have, at least to a point, but with the attitude of my heart and the way I interact with other people “in the world.”
But, hey, I haven’t figured it all out yet.
Thursday March.16.2006 at 9:58 am PST
Parke
Some great thoughts, folks.
Hermann (very cool name), that helps me understand a great deal more, yes. I agree that more ministry minded folks need to think “small” in the sense that they focus more on relationships and less on costly things. That’s something I’ve made a conscious effort to pursue in the community of faith I spend time with. There will be needs for larger events (carnivals the help poor children understand Jesus’ love for them) and I think there will be needs for paid staff. (My father is one, as are a few of my good friends. Personally, I do supported-publicity work for a missions org.) But each of these things needs to be done very carefully in regard to how we spend the resources and what resources we seek out in the first place.
So we’ve identified one way of teaching people to step out of consumerism - serving without waste and sometimes without pay. What other ways can we model these values for others in our communities?
Thursday March.16.2006 at 3:38 pm PST
Jake
This conversation reminds me of the section in Piper’s Dont Waste Your Life that discusses the difference between a war-time and peace-time mentality.
Monday March.20.2006 at 1:33 am PST
Renaissance Innovation
Parke
I guess living in SA where third and first world clash everyday and very violently, we need to take a look at how we consume and what we consume. I know Tony Campolo has very good views on this. Taking a look at our needs, rather than our wants.
Then in SA “CHEAP” labor is easy to come by and we should not abuse people because they are desperate. This happens all the time and as a couple of friends we are really trying to respect the poor and see them as humans and not just cheap labor.
These are two other aspects relevant to SA.
Tuesday May.23.2006 at 3:43 pm PDT
Mathias
Hm, am I too late to partake in this discussion?
Very intesresting, though, even if I read it like two months too late =)
Especially what you Hermann shared. I think you handled the situation wisely, and it was a decision that I can very much understand and respect even though I have never met you.
One thing that is vital when it comes to tackling to spiritual or cultural consumerism trends in the western church, is to understand the underlying need or lack of fulfillment that consumerism fills. I wrote a blogpost that shortly tackle these things (mostly hyperreality), maybe not right on into this discussion, but still it resonates to it.
http://lighthouses.blogspirit.com/archive/2006/04/13/hyperreality.html
It basically all boils down to indentity and the consumerist products and signs that people cling on to if they feel an inner lack of fulfillment or an uncertainty as to what their true identity is.
Nice blog.
Greetings from Finland! =)
Tuesday May.23.2006 at 10:38 pm PDT
Parke
Additions are always welcome, Mathias. It’s good timing as Nathan(.voxtropolis.com) and I were talking about similar things in person tonight at the conference we’re at. More to come…