Consumer Choices

In the course of my sermon this morning, I made a passing remark about our consumer society.

I have been thinking about it all a bit since that sermon.

While I enjoy the many choices we have, am one of those who shops around for a good deal (despite my supermarket loyalty card) and make use of comparison websites (I even have a collection of cuddly meerkat toys!) I get a little uncomfortable at the way in which a consumer approach has affected so much of our lives.

The consumer society’s values do not sit well with the values of loyalty, commitment, constancy, endurance, faithfulness etc.

Which are we called to as God’s people; Kingdom values or consumer society values?

Of course, there are times and circumstances when the right thing to do is to move on, whether with regard to relationships or churches; when we find ourselves being drained of life, abused, giving all but still feeling used, and we have stuck with it and tried everything and yet there remains no life, no light, no love. I am not advocating that people should remain forever in abusive relationships or in abusive churches. Not at all.

But that does not detract from my belief that we are called to faithfulness, commitment and constancy in our relationships and in our congregations.

A consumer approach to our committed relationships or to our church engagement, which sees us constantly shopping around for a new lover or a new church or whatever, does not seem to me to be how God calls us to live.