Materialism, and my own idolatry.
This is something that I wrote a few months back that I want to post as a sort of addition to my last post - it continues to ring true.
First off I would like to state that this is NOT in any way an attack against those of you who use Apple products, as I myself own and use them. I would much prefer to use certain clothing companies (like Abercrombie & Fitch) for my example here, but I was not lucky enough to come across an article written about them (or there absolutely disgusting marketing techniques).
I came across a news piece on BBC.com that I would like to comment on. I get most of my world news from BBC.com, and for the most part find their reporting to be fairly decent. Good reporting seems extremely difficult to come by these days, and it takes much wisdom and discernment (two things in which I am often times lacking) to actually decipher through what is being reported to us, and find that bit of truth. With that said, now on to the news.
There was an article on BBC.com talking about the business (and possibly cultural?) phenomenon of Apple products. The piece focused mainly on the iPod, which is Apples MP3 player. The article begins with:
"To enter the Apple store in Manhattan is to enter a temple. Beneath its high vault, swish thin young men and women dressed from head to foot in black. They hold objects in their hands, strange white and silver objects, objects of devotion which they present to lay visitors, to the uninitiated who wander in from Prince Street seeking retail solace. At the top of a set of broad stairs in the sunlit store is an auditorium, a circle of seats much like those in a chapel, where one of the black-clad priests stands and delivers an encomium to the objects. There is reverence and a sense of being part of a movement."
The article then goes on to discuss other things, ending with this:
"To watch the throng at the Apple store in Manhattan is to witness an amazing business phenomenon. A company has managed to turn its product into an object of adoration, into something people want to buy whether they need it or not, something they want to buy as something that defines themselves. And that is very good business indeed."
How can it be that we as a society have moved so far away from the teachings of Jesus that we allow ourselves to literally worship objects? There is an enormous amount of truth in the final paragraph of the BBC.com article. We often times allow ourselves to worship and be defined by mere objects. How many people do you know who will spend incredible amounts of money in order to wear Abercrombie & Fitch clothing, because it "defines" them? How many people will spend money that they don't have in order to buy products that they really don't need, simply because these products "define" them? So many of us will buy these types of clothes and products not because we actually need them, but because of the image that is associated with those who own, use and wear them.
The things we do to portray ourselves in a certain way and as having a certain image has gone so far. Our materialism, consumerism, and the coveting, adoring and worshiping of objects, seemingly know no limits! Where has this come from?
I refuse to believe that this is simply a product of social conditioning. If I accept that this all stems from social conditioning then I am accepting that the Church no longer has any influence in our society and culture. I am accepting that the Church no longer is a transforming agent of society. I am accepting that the Church no longer produces men and women with a Biblical worldview. If I accept that this is simply a product of social conditioning then I must ask, where is the Church? I do not want to believe that this is simply a product of social conditioning, because I still have faith that the Church can be a transforming agent in our society, our culture, our nation and our world.
So where is this coming from, and why do we allow it to not only continue but to flourish?
Or have we as believers become so desensitized to the sins of our culture and society that we no longer view these as evils?
This is not about whether or not it is OK to own and use these types of products - of course it is. This is about understanding that at the very moment we allow ourselves to turn any object into an object of adoration and worship, an object that "defines" us - in that moment we have strayed from the teachings of Jesus. In that moment we are not allowing the teachings of Jesus to influence us or our lifestyles any longer, and we have become idolatrous people.
As I write this I am wondering what objects I have done this with in the past, and am doing this with now. For me it could be nearly anything, even the very ministry I am involved with. Oh God, how often I must hurt You, as my own hypocrisy knows no limits!
There are billions of people living in absolute poverty all around the world. There are millions of people living in extreme poverty in America. There are thousands of people living in poverty in my hometown in East Tennessee. As believers we each have a responsibility to seek justice for the poor and oppressed. We are called to not only live evangelistically, but to also be Christians who take our social responsibility seriously. Yes evangelism is very important, but seeking justice for the poor and oppressed is also important - these two things can never be separated. If we allow ourselves to live materialistically and to covet, worship and adore mere objects, we are not seeking justice for the poor. We are not caring for the poor. We are not loving the poor. Jesus said that He came to preach the Good News to the poor, and His lifestyle represented this in words as well as in deeds. Let us all strive together to do the same!
Lord make us a people who seek to live our lives as an offering to You. Help us to live sacrificially so that others may know Your goodness, Your mercy, Your grace, and Your intense concern for the poor among us. Help us Jesus to be more like You.
With love to you all,
M. Pascal
First off I would like to state that this is NOT in any way an attack against those of you who use Apple products, as I myself own and use them. I would much prefer to use certain clothing companies (like Abercrombie & Fitch) for my example here, but I was not lucky enough to come across an article written about them (or there absolutely disgusting marketing techniques).
I came across a news piece on BBC.com that I would like to comment on. I get most of my world news from BBC.com, and for the most part find their reporting to be fairly decent. Good reporting seems extremely difficult to come by these days, and it takes much wisdom and discernment (two things in which I am often times lacking) to actually decipher through what is being reported to us, and find that bit of truth. With that said, now on to the news.
There was an article on BBC.com talking about the business (and possibly cultural?) phenomenon of Apple products. The piece focused mainly on the iPod, which is Apples MP3 player. The article begins with:
"To enter the Apple store in Manhattan is to enter a temple. Beneath its high vault, swish thin young men and women dressed from head to foot in black. They hold objects in their hands, strange white and silver objects, objects of devotion which they present to lay visitors, to the uninitiated who wander in from Prince Street seeking retail solace. At the top of a set of broad stairs in the sunlit store is an auditorium, a circle of seats much like those in a chapel, where one of the black-clad priests stands and delivers an encomium to the objects. There is reverence and a sense of being part of a movement."
The article then goes on to discuss other things, ending with this:
"To watch the throng at the Apple store in Manhattan is to witness an amazing business phenomenon. A company has managed to turn its product into an object of adoration, into something people want to buy whether they need it or not, something they want to buy as something that defines themselves. And that is very good business indeed."
I was sickened in my stomach (and also in my heart) when reading this article, which can be found in its entirety at the following link : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4464735.stm.
I began to wonder how this could be.
I began to wonder how this could be.
How can it be that we as a society have moved so far away from the teachings of Jesus that we allow ourselves to literally worship objects? There is an enormous amount of truth in the final paragraph of the BBC.com article. We often times allow ourselves to worship and be defined by mere objects. How many people do you know who will spend incredible amounts of money in order to wear Abercrombie & Fitch clothing, because it "defines" them? How many people will spend money that they don't have in order to buy products that they really don't need, simply because these products "define" them? So many of us will buy these types of clothes and products not because we actually need them, but because of the image that is associated with those who own, use and wear them.
The things we do to portray ourselves in a certain way and as having a certain image has gone so far. Our materialism, consumerism, and the coveting, adoring and worshiping of objects, seemingly know no limits! Where has this come from?
I refuse to believe that this is simply a product of social conditioning. If I accept that this all stems from social conditioning then I am accepting that the Church no longer has any influence in our society and culture. I am accepting that the Church no longer is a transforming agent of society. I am accepting that the Church no longer produces men and women with a Biblical worldview. If I accept that this is simply a product of social conditioning then I must ask, where is the Church? I do not want to believe that this is simply a product of social conditioning, because I still have faith that the Church can be a transforming agent in our society, our culture, our nation and our world.
So where is this coming from, and why do we allow it to not only continue but to flourish?
Or have we as believers become so desensitized to the sins of our culture and society that we no longer view these as evils?
This is not about whether or not it is OK to own and use these types of products - of course it is. This is about understanding that at the very moment we allow ourselves to turn any object into an object of adoration and worship, an object that "defines" us - in that moment we have strayed from the teachings of Jesus. In that moment we are not allowing the teachings of Jesus to influence us or our lifestyles any longer, and we have become idolatrous people.
As I write this I am wondering what objects I have done this with in the past, and am doing this with now. For me it could be nearly anything, even the very ministry I am involved with. Oh God, how often I must hurt You, as my own hypocrisy knows no limits!
There are billions of people living in absolute poverty all around the world. There are millions of people living in extreme poverty in America. There are thousands of people living in poverty in my hometown in East Tennessee. As believers we each have a responsibility to seek justice for the poor and oppressed. We are called to not only live evangelistically, but to also be Christians who take our social responsibility seriously. Yes evangelism is very important, but seeking justice for the poor and oppressed is also important - these two things can never be separated. If we allow ourselves to live materialistically and to covet, worship and adore mere objects, we are not seeking justice for the poor. We are not caring for the poor. We are not loving the poor. Jesus said that He came to preach the Good News to the poor, and His lifestyle represented this in words as well as in deeds. Let us all strive together to do the same!
Lord make us a people who seek to live our lives as an offering to You. Help us to live sacrificially so that others may know Your goodness, Your mercy, Your grace, and Your intense concern for the poor among us. Help us Jesus to be more like You.
With love to you all,
M. Pascal
posted by Matthew Pascal @ 10:56 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
truth
I appreciate your rant. 7 years of hanging out with high school kids and seeing how they "must have" all the latest, coolest things like A&F, ipods, SUVs, etc. made me so sick. My heart breaks for the less fortunate kids, as well as others that we all too often ignore. In a touch of irony, about 3 weeks ago, a college student tried to make fun of me and my tape deck and headphones I use to run with. He said I needed to get with the new millenium and get an Ipod. I told him that when he was finished living off mommy and daddy, then he will be allowed to speak to me again. If he chose not to wait, I would choose to pound his scrawny rear end into the weight bench...... freshmen...
Good stuff. I find it interesting to see past lessons from the Bible come into fruition in our time and how I see it more and more.
Biggie
I haven't figured out how to make this connect directly to your post--I guess it's proof that there are those fighting the idolatry of materialism with sacrificial generosity--but I thought you'd like it...the modern day widow's mites.
I'm in San Francisco, and spent Wednesday night hanging out with a bunch of homeless guys at a church dinner. About halfway through the meal, a man stands up and announces that they (the homeless men) are taking up a collection for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. And suddenly from their shopping carts and coat pockets, these men pull out still-in-the-wrapper toothbrushes, pencil boxes, flannel shirts, coins, plastic drinking cups--and all these things go into the shipping carton to be sent to New Orleans.
Take that, iPod world.
That's so cool Heidi. I wish I could have been there to see it. The actions of the homeless men speak so much louder then any words I (or any of us) can or ever will write.
hmmm...I wonder if that is a church I know from when I did a summer internship there with IC on the Haight...is it kind of on a hill and it is really big and white, and they have had a church dinner on wednesdays since forever, but a couple years ago some people living on the streets started coming and so now it is a kind of outreach to the community on the streets. and on the subject of connections, I think the event you witnessed is very parallel to the event ipod tries to create for potential customers. But the latter is orchestrated by Satan to get all passersby to worship a certain image of ourselves, while the latter is orchestrated by God to get those who are attentive to him to be in awe of his creation, which even in desperate circumstances is able to show concern for others. that was a stab...I often feel like I can make anything connect :)
ps welcome on board in sha'allah
Yup, I think it's the same church--I was visiting the IC folks out there. The sad thing was, other than the IC team, only one church person was at the dinner, which seems to be now the normal amount of church participation--but that's a different conversation.
Re: your p.s. Thanks!
Would you mind if I linked you to my blog? I really enjoy reading your blog so far.
Dear ME,
Sure, it's fine for you to link me to your blog.
M. Pascal
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