Would Jesus Shop On Black Friday?
Given that we’re one week away from this colossal cultural phenom, it seems like a good time to ask the question. Actually, my friend, colleague, and Sermon Brainwave buddy Rolf Jacobson has written a fantastic article in response to this question on Luther Seminary’s wonderful and free web resource, Enter the Bible. In that piece, Rolf responds, quite honestly, that we frankly don’t know whether Jesus would shop on Black Friday. Having said that, though, that doesn’t mean we can’t think theologically about our relationship to the day and, even more, to our habits and pattens of shopping and our relationship to money more generally.
So there are something we don’t know. But, quite frankly, a lot we do, both about Black Friday and about Jesus, and these things might come in handy.
First, about Black Friday. As marketing guru Seth Godin reminds us
Black Friday was a deliberate invention of the National Association of Retailers. It was not only the perfect way to promote stores during a super slow news day, but had the side benefit of creating a new cultural norm.
Any media outlet that talks about Black Friday as an actually important phenomenon is either ignorant or working hard to please their advertisers. Retailers offer very little in the way of actual discounts, they expose human panic and greed, and it’s all sort of ridiculous if not soul-robbing.
That’s right. The sales aren’t much better than you can find at other times, and so we’ve all been rather conned into shortening the time we might spend with family and friends or, heaven forbid, actually giving thanks for all that we do have instead of longing and lusting for what we don’t.
Now, about Jesus. As Rolf writes,
Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Or, to put the message in the language I have been using, “heart follows treasure.” Notice that – not treasure follows heart, but heart follows treasure.
What you do with the treasure God has given to you will determine where your heart will end up. Not the reverse.
Where you spend your treasure, there your heart will follow. In other words, where you direct your treasure, your heart will follow.
What the good Lord offers here is not challenge to us – put your money where you faith is – but rather a simple, eloquent commentary on human nature. Christ is saying to us – this is how it works with flesh-and-blood folk. Heart follows treasure.
What you do with your treasure will determine where your heart will be.
It’s an arresting thought, isn’t it? That how we spend shapes our attitudes and beliefs, rather than the other way around. But, contrary to our intuition, social psychologists have been telling us for years – at least since the days I was an undergrad – that our behavior shapes attitude far more powerfully than attitudes shape behavior. The number one thing a political candidate can do to engender your commitment, for instance? Ask you to do a simple thing like wearing a button or putting a campaign sign in your yard, as even that token action greatly shapes your disposition and commitment toward the candidate.
Why? Because we have a persistent and potent need to justify our actions to ourselves. And so when we act in a certain way, we unconsciously work very hard to then explain and justify that behavior to ourselves, including changing our attitudes.
As Rolf similarly explains, “When we give a vendor our money, in exchange the vendor also lays a claim on our loyalty.”
It’s that simple. And that complex. As over time, our patterns of consumption tend to define our belief – and values – about consumption.
Which is what makes Black Friday – and, increasingly, Black Thanksgiving Thursday – so clever, powerful, and potentially pernicious. Lured to stores in the belief that we are saving money and will thereby have happier holidays, we increasingly value Black Friday and willingly turn over to retailers our time, credit cards, and hearts.
But all is not lost. As Rolf points out, we should keep in mind that,
at least a small degree, you have some influence over your heart.
You cannot control your heart, and you certainly don’t have free will over your heart.
But you do have some influence. If you want your heart to go in some direction, start putting your treasure there.
Because as we make choices, even small choices, for more generous and purposeful use of our wealth, we’ll discover two things: 1) our resolve to spend in a way that reflects our stated values and faith convictions grows and 2) we get happier. That’s right, generosity breeds happiness.
So, would Jesus shop in Good Friday? We don’t know, but it’s surely worth our reflection. And, while I’ve borrowed a bit from Rolf, I haven’t come close to doing his insight or his article justice, and I would highly encourage you to read it in its entirety. It’s insightful, poignant, and even funny – not an easy combination to pull off!
PS: If you are looking for a wonderful Christmas gift for someone who wants to learn more about the Bible or loves the Psalms, I’d recommend Rolf’s wonderful book (written with his brother Karl), Invitation to the Psalms: A Reader’s Guide for Discovery and Engagement
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