I used to think that consumerism could exist with the church as a means to sharing the gospel. Then I thought about how it didn’t belong, but struggled to put my finger on why. I would say things like, “The way you win someone is the way you keep them.” but I’m beginning to think this is even not a real answer.
In my mind I’m trying not to be some reactionary guy who declares the sky is falling. No one listens to that guy for more than a few minutes and they listen for all the wrong reasons. I don’t want to come across as some purist who can’t see gray between the black and white or who doesn’t see his own faults in the midst of his critique.
But I am landing in a place where I’m able to articulate in a new way something I’ve felt for several years now. Consumerism is taints the gospel at it’s core.
Consumerism is de-humanizing because it allows individuals to feed on the idea that they are at the mercy of others, who freely take that authority from them.
In this sense consumerism is anti-gospel. The gospel demands that you take up your cross and follow, to find your true identity as eikons of God. It simply can not be delegated, or done by someone else. You can not give this responsibility to someone else. your pastor, friends, family, husband, wife, or kids can’t do this for you.
If this is the case then churches who feed the consumeristic tendencies of the people within their community they are in fact subverting the gospel by taking the power, authority and responsibility for being an eikon from the very people they are trying to help.
Consumerism by it’s very nature works against individuals from becoming fully human. because it keeps them from the identity that is rightly theirs.
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