It is a sign of the consumerist times we live in that ‘retail therapy’ is a familiar part of our vocabulary and Mint.com has an interesting piece (here) about what we gain from a good bit of shopping. Here are a few things that stood out.

Firstly, the simple acknowledgement that the US ‘economy rests on consumption’ and its the same here in the UK. If we can agree on that, it just makes discussion of consumerism much easier. I’ve led seminars or workshops and have been asked often enough whether or not we should consume less if that means someone somewhere is going to end up unemployed. The thinking is that because we have a consumer based economy wouldn’t it be nationally irresponsible if all the Christians started buying less.

If we unpack that a little bit, there’s first at least the implicit agreement that Christians are probably spending their money pretty much like everyone else. Secondly, that our first responsibility is towards our national government (it’s not) and thirdly that giving isn’t actually a form of ‘spending’ (it is).

The article then reminds of the addictive nature of shopping, finding a ‘bargain’ triggers all the same nerve centres in the brain as drug addiction of compulsive behaviour. The shops know it just not all the shoppers. The paragraph ends with this telling line, ‘And it’s not even the material good that necessarily brings the joy—it’s often simply the anticipation of the find.’

Which is true, the actual item isn’t always the point of shopping, it’s the anticipation, the hope, the dreams that it fuels and the expectation that a little slice of happiness can be found with a swipe of the visa. Of course this is therapy we’re talking about not grocery shopping. We need therapy when we’re sad, when we’re sad we’re more self-centred and when we’re more self-centred we spend more on ourselves. In a consumer society then it’s in the national interest for us all to be slightly depressed.

Then a professor from the US says that in the run up to Christmas ‘shopping can act as a balm for those suffering from depression, anxiety, and loneliness during the holidays.’ But not a long-lasting balm, just one to get you through to January.

If the church is to be salt and light and is going to influence culture at all we must learn how to be an alternative community in a consumer society and not just a slightly less consumerist one.

Read the Mint post here