I had a panic attack at Hobby Lobby the other day. Worship music playing over the loud speakers... FOUR aisles of Easter stuff... eggs and bunnies mixed in with crosses and crucifixes... and a healthy dose of "God Bless America" mixed right in... and suddenly it was hard to breathe and I wanted to curl into a ball and cry.
It could have been the fact that I was shopping an over-whelming store with a three year old... "Don't touch that... Please stay with me... Yes, you have to hold my hand... Please don't shout at me..." Or it could have been a visceral reaction to the cancer of consumerism that has been infecting American Christianity for decades.
If something is labeled "Christian" or has the phrase "I love Jesus" somehow attached to it, we consume it with ferocity. Rarely do we take the time to discern if it's actually worthy of consumption or healthy to be consumed. We accept it because it claims to be "one of us" and we feel grateful that we can consume it without fear that our souls will be tainted by it. We are elated that we can shop without thought, support without discernment, consume with abandon.
But this in not how God made us! He gave us brains to think, souls to discern and bodies with limits. Are we still being "meek as sheep and wise as serpents (Matthew 10:16)" if we support and consume without first asking God if we should?
God has shown us what is good... to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). Have I taken the time to research Hobby Lobby's supply lines to find out if their factories treat their workers justly and with mercy?
I have not.
I did with Wal-mart... which is why I tend to shop more at Target.
But I didn't with Hobby Lobby. I just made assumptions based on the worship music over the loud speakers and the "CLOSED on Sunday" sign on the door. If I dig a little deeper will I find that this store is still worth supporting?
At the same time, I'm NOT saying that the reverse is true.. that just because it's "Christian" means it's bad. I AM saying that we need to use our brains to think and our souls to discern. if something is good based on its quality and character, then let's call it GOOD. But if something is bad based on its quality and character, then let's call it BAD and not pretend that it's good just because it's "Christian." LET'S JUST BE HONEST ABOUT THINGS.
Honest: I would like to support Chick-fil-a because they are a Christian company, but I don't eat there because I don't like their chicken.
Dishonest:What? You don't like the chicken? Then go get french fries! We have to do everything we can to support this business because it's Christian and they observe the sabbath.
Honest: The film production quality is still really rough BUT I support their vision so I'm going to see the movie and support the company so they can improve.
Dishonest: Let's sell out this theatre because it's a Christian movie!
God gave us brains to think, souls to discern and bodies with limits. Let's honor Him by making wise decisions about what we consume, how we consume it and when we've had enough.
Is there anything that you have, without thought, called "good" because it's "Christian"? is there anything that you have called "bad" because it's not?
