the counterfeit story we've been sold - buy, consume & you will feel better

found via the simple pastor - chris seay's talk on consumerism - plus the video of such


my summary of the ideas put forward in the excellent video (apparently from 2007) which i recommend you spend 9 minutes or so watching -  is:


- we are taught that when we get what we want we will be happy, that when we don't feel ok we should buy something, and that if we buy something things will be right (so in the sims game the happiness score is increased by buying stuff)

- but this is counter the christian teaching that when we create we will be fulfilled, the genesis story is  that god creates us in perfection - we have everything we could ever want - fruit, nakedness, no work - but we still want more (a theme thru-out the bible  - e.g. get manna from heaven but whine)


- we obsess over what we don't have - we think it will bring meaning - but it doesn't - its empty and its meaningless

- and sometimes we realise this - that we were made for the opposite of consumption

- to co-create - to collaborate

- now this doesn't mean we buy nothing - but that we do care how and what we buy - and that we grapple with the question - do we have too much?

- how do we think god views our consumerism - imagine you had a son and 2 daughters - the son has loads of money and lavish's gifts on you @ xmas - your daughters don't have enough money to get clean water or feed their families-  how would you feel about the rich son and his approach to his sisters?

- ironically the worst time for consumerism is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of christ

- what if we got most of our xmas gifts for others (after all the baby jesus only got 3 gifts on his birth) - and that the gifts we do give are meaningful not meaningless?

- in the q& a - fairtrade was how I started to realise the impact of what i buy on others