A Theology Of Shopping
In trying to write an article about shopping, all sorts of competing issues arise. Is shopping good? Is shopping bad? Does shopping serve mammon instead of God (Matthew 6:24)? Does it just satisfy our materialism or does it have any inherent usefulness? Does it encourage covetousness or generosity? Shouldn’t we be using our money for better purposes than accumulating stuff, storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth (Matthew 6:19-21)?
These thoughts go around and around in my head as I consider my own consumer addictions. You see, my greatest weakness is not music or movies (though they are certainly up there); my greatest weakness is books. I’m one of those people you should never take into Borders or let loose on Amazon.com. During the four years I was a casual at Dymocks, half my pay was spent on books (and that’s with the 25% staff discount). I love looking at books, getting lost in them and running my hands over their covers (especially those with gorgeous matte finish). My vast collection doesn’t even concentrate on the theological. It’s mostly fiction—science fiction, fantasy, fairy tales, children’s books and classics, with the odd biography. I have all the Harry Potter books—in hardcover. Want to borrow Beauty by Robin McKinley? I own three editions of it.
I gave up the book-buying habit when I stopped working in a bookstore. But recently I discovered eBay where consumerism meets competition with heady results. Not only do you usually pay less for things you want (there’s nothing wrong with secondhand, okay?), but you also get that adrenaline rush when you find out you’ve won. I’ve also managed to pick up some rare Jane Yolens you can’t purchase in your local Angus & Robertson.
But does economics and a collector mentality justify my spending? Is there anything wrong with hitting the mall with a wallet full of cash? Should quality (eg. a pair of boots that will last me five years) come before price? Is it okay to buy Uncle Toby’s over No Frills or David Jones over Target?
Created goods
First of all, it must be said that stuff is good. Clothes are good. DVD players are good. Beautiful clothbound signed-by-the-author editions are good. We can’t be Buddhists and renounce the material world because we know that the God who made the world made it to be good. He gave humans the ability to create good things and we benefit from their creations, whether they be birthday cakes or trains. (Humans create bad things too but that’s another story.)
Unfortunately, stuff is perishable and temporary. Stuff decays—it rusts, fades, wears out and falls apart. My favourite shoes are now losing their soles. This is all because of sin, for death entered the world as a result of sin and now everything is slowly dying.
Consumer goods
Because stuff wears out, it often needs to be replaced, hence the need to go shopping. There are roughly three different “kinds” of shopping: shopping for essentials, shopping for non-essentials and shopping for gifts (which could be essentials or non-essentials depending on what you’re buying and what you’re buying it for). Essentials are things that we can’t live without. We need food to keep us alive. We need clothes and shoes to keep us covered, respectable and protected from the elements. Non-essentials are things we can do without - luxury items such as music, movies and (unfortunately) books.
This distinction is reflected to a certain degree in our tax system. Items that do not attract GST are things like medical examinations, fresh food, meat, milk, bread, tea and coffee. (I have doubts on the “essentialness” of that last item!!) Items that do attract GST are things like birthday cakes, computers, concert tickets and, of course, books. Everyone has to shop for essentials, even those who hate shopping and can’t stand being in a Westfields. And, in shopping for essentials like clothes and shoes, it is sensible to buy things that will last as long as possible so you don’t have to replace them so often. But no one has to shop for non-essentials because ... well, they’re non-essential. So does this mean that shopping for non-essentials is wrong?
Eternal goods
Here, wisdom is needed. Remember that creation is good and it is not necessarily wrong to buy things like CDs and books because CDs and books are good. However, CDs and books are not what life is all about. It would be sad if I valued my library more than I valued eternal life. Stuff is transitory and temporary; therefore it is futile to store up treasures on earth instead of storing up treasures in heaven. My real wealth is not in my collection of rare Jane Yolens but in the blessings my heavenly Father has given me and the riches my Lord Jesus has lavished upon me (Ephesians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 8-9). I need to be content with that. I need to make sure I’m not spending more on myself than on the work of the gospel. I need to enjoy created things while at the same time keep myself out of debt. In short, I need to keep the balance and not just shop around. What about you?
Karen Beilharz
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