black friday and buy nothing day

This afternoon Maggie and I are making the familiar drive to Mason City, Iowa to spend the Thanksgiving weekend with family. Tomorrow I’ll attempt a from-scratch pumpkin pie (any suggestions?) and we’ll cook the turkey we reserved a couple of months ago at the Green City Market. I’m curious whether our grass-fed bird will taste noticeably different. And on Friday… I won’t be shopping.

The day after Thanksgiving has become known as Black Friday, but I’m inclined to go with the Buy Nothing Day folks. I know that great deals can be found for the brave souls willing to line up ridiculously early at the local big box store, but doesn’t it seem odd to spend a day frantically chasing deals right after spending a day remembering everything we have to be thankful for? Of course, some folks seem to enjoy the ritual of Black Friday. Others (mostly men, it seems) like the idea of getting all of their Christmas shopping done on one day. Fair enough, but I’m still opting out.

Last year at this time I saw What Would Jesus Buy?, a documentary about the Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping. I reviewed the film over at Out of Ur so I won’t say much about it except that I hope to bring the DVD along to Iowa to watch with the family. Any film that manages to be both funny and thought provoking is good with me. If you’re considering financial abstinence on Friday, this film will seal the deal. And make you laugh.

And you? Will you be shopping for deals on Friday or spending the day in other ways? Any Black Friday traditions you’d like to pass on?

David Swanson

November 26, 2008

culture, film

black friday, buy nothing day, church of stop shopping, reverend billy, what would jesus buy?

14 responses to “black friday and buy nothing day”

Leigh

November 26, 2008 at 4:36 pm

I have to work on Friday and then I’m on-call so I am not likely to go shopping. I’ve only shopped on Black Friday once and I’d rather not have a repeat of the insane crowds and manic spirit that sweeps through the stores.

Reply
Keith

November 28, 2008 at 11:17 am

I bought a vacuum cleaner on line. I saved $100, which is good stewardship. For those who line up, as I have in the past, the chase is often better than the catch. I missed the fervor that I’ve experienced in years gone by. Hopefully next year there will be something I need at a decent price that will lure me out of bed by 4:00 AM. Again, it will be something I need for a good price. That’s stewardship, not consumerism.

I’m curious about the seemingly negative attitude towards consumers. May I suggest that Jesus even loves consumers and those who are in debt? That consumerism is in the church is a concern but for those outside the church, we are to love them. Is it possible for Christians who disagree with consumerism from a theological perspective to retain their convictions while also supporting the will of their co-citizens who don’t share their beliefs? To oversimplify, it seems that our energy as Christians is best spent on proclaiming the Kingdom of God and embodying its ethic.

My sister-in-law bought a laptop this morn and got a great deal. She was in line around 0400 hrs. Representatives from a local church were there handing out hot chocolate and telling the consumers that Jesus loves them. That is good.

Reply
David

November 28, 2008 at 12:25 pm

Keith, I don’t think I’m expressing a negative attitude towards consumers. Depending on your definition, each of us is a consumer. I acted as a consumer when I bought the fixings for my pumpkin pie and when I ordered a couple of books online the other day. I suppose my negative feelings come from elevating consumption to the level of patriotism or to the point where we have two days (Black Friday and Cyber Monday) that seem to celebrate our ability to consume. Does that make sense? I’m glad that Jesus loves consumers; if he didn’t I’d be in trouble.

This morning a Wal-Mart employee was crushed to death in Long Island when hundreds of people pushed through the doors when the store opened. This is an extreme and tragic example of consumerism run amok. I’m glad that some good deals can be found today, but there may be some costs to these deals that don’t show up on the price tag.

Reply
Keith

November 28, 2008 at 4:33 pm

In my own special/subtle way I was trying to demonstrate the disparity between the way sins are being treated/discussed on this blog. The message regarding Proposition 8 was to love homosexuals. I completely agree. Yet there seems to be less love towards those who consume excessively. You are pointing out the single death (which is one too many) caused by excessive consumerism yet I didn’t see concern raised for deaths caused by AIDs amongst homosexuals. You ask if people will consider financial abstinence but what about considering sexual abstinence (homosexual and outside of marriage)?

Reply
David

November 29, 2008 at 2:21 pm

Thanks for keeping me honest Keith. I may need some clarification on your comment. You mention a disparity about how sins are treated on the blog, however I didn’t intend for either of the posts you mentioned to be about sin. The Prop 8 post was meant to ask questions about how Christians engage in the public square with those who may not share similar theological beliefs. The Black Friday post my attempt to ask some questions about the type of consumerism that takes place on the day after Thanksgiving. I also was pointing out a film that I thought some of the blog’s readers might enjoy.

Does that make sense? Am I missing something?

Reply
Edgar

November 29, 2008 at 9:31 pm

I added it to our netlfix queue. This is actually available for instant download so I’ll watch it during the holiday period.

Reply
jas dye

November 29, 2008 at 11:28 pm

not quite as black & white about black friday, although i wish i could do away with consumerism from my life.

this is from an fb comment session with a friend of my wife’s. i think it encapsulates my beliefs pretty well:

AT has decided The Buy Nothing Day is inadvertently classist. 10:47am
CH
You might be on to something…every day has been Buy Nothing Day for me since my organization downsized.
JFD
Agreed.
DH
I’d like to see The Onion headline: “Homeless community wins Highest Participation award for Buy Nothing Day.”
JFD
“Single Mom w/ 8 Kids Shamed for Buying Washer”
JDye
black friday may be a good day for those needing a computer at a reasonable price. however, i have found – this especially in light of the ongoing credit disaster we’re calling a financial crisis – that the poor are pressured into buying crap we don’t need to keep up with the crap that’s given us by people who assume we need it b/c of the commercialization and consumerism of western civ.
…..

AT
“Area Millionaire Says Every Day is Buy Nothing Day, Has Everything”
JDye
“Area Trust-Fund Babies Organize Mass Protest Against ‘Insensitive’ Buying Habits of Area Working-Class Families”
RLH
I won’t be shopping that day simply because I think it’s hell!
JDye
i think eugene cho has a thoughtful reply here: http://eugenecho.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/being-trampled-to-death-on-black-friday-and-thoughts-about-buy-nothing-day/

Reply
David

November 30, 2008 at 8:27 am

Funny Jas Dye. I also thought Eugene Cho nailed it in his post.

Reply
jas dye

November 30, 2008 at 1:04 pm

yeah, absolutely.

Reply
BC

November 30, 2008 at 3:12 pm

Thanksgiving and the day after are just two other regular days on the calendar over here in the Middle East. I was thinking about the issue of consumption as I was explaining the Thanksgiving Holiday to a Muslim friend who had just shared with me about Eid-al-Adha. During this holiday they sacrifice a goat. The family eats half and then they distribute the other half to the poor. I emphasized that Thanksgiving had an important element about sharing with the poor as well. But somehow it didn’t seem as visceral. Anyone who knows me personally, knows that I know that people give on Thanksgiving, but culturally how much more is it about the eating, and the football, and the parades, and the day off from work, and the shopping the day after? We had our Thanksgiving Dinner here, but it was kind of nice that it wasn’t accompanied by all of those extra trimmings.

Reply
Keith

November 30, 2008 at 10:23 pm

David:
I’m certainly reading too much into this and attributing certain concepts to your blog that you’ve not written. With that confession, let’s see if I can clarify my thoughts.
For Proposition 8 you asked if the church can live in this distinct society along side those who have different ethics. You asked what the church would lose if marriage was redefined. You also said, “to over-simplify again, it seems to me that our enegry as Christians is best spent on proclaiming the Kingdom of God and embodying its ethic.” What I interpretted was that the church should not be vocal for or against Proposition 8. We should concentrate on loving others and sharing the gospel.

Then, a couple of days later, you post the info above regarding black friday and BND, and What would Jesus Buy. What I’ve interpretted is that you think this kind of excessive consumerism is wrong and consumerism should not be tied to patriotism, etc. In your Out of Ur movie review you stated, “…perhaps our first response to the colorful Reverend Billy is to thank God that someone has the courage to speak prophetically to a society desperately in need of an alternative way of living.”

What I’m suggesting that you’re suggesting is that the church should not be overly concerned with Proposition 8 but should be concerned with excessive consumerism.

I’m suggesting the church should be equally concerned with both.

Reply
David

December 2, 2008 at 3:14 pm

Thanks Keith. I appreciate the way you’ve summarized this. I’m hearing you say that I may have a double standard when it comes to different issues (Prop 8 and consumerism). It appears that on Prop 8 I think Christians ought to be silent, focusing on loving others and sharing the gospel. You also hear me saying that Christians should take a stand against consumerism. This leads you to believe that I think the church should be concerned with excessive consumerism but not Prop 8.

You have caused me to examine whether I do have different standards for these different issues. I don’t think I do. I agree with you that the church should be equally concerned with both. However, I’m not convinced that Christians should push for legislation that enforces our perspective on either of these issues. My concern about Prop 8 is the focus on legislation. My concern about consumerism is the appearance that American Christians look no different in our spending habits than our non-Christian neighbors.

When it comes to both Prop 8 and excessive consumerism I think the best course of action for the church is to continue being the church. In other words, proclaiming and embodying the coming Kingdom of God. I’m unconvinced that in a democracy this Kingdom ethic involves pursuing legislation (whether against gay marriage or excessive consumerism) that reflects our unique beliefs unless it clearly involves protection of the oppressed and marginalized. I understand that this view is not shared by many within our Christian family, but this is my best understanding of what it means to be a Christian in America.

Thoughts? Does this address your questions and observations?

Thanks for the dialogue.

Reply
Keith

December 2, 2008 at 8:49 pm

Thanks for your clarifying thoughts. I have a better understanding of your position. Your statement about “legislating” excessive consumerism has given perspective to legislating a definition of marriage. Christian society has “levels” of acceptance for legislating morality. To legislate against excessive consumerism is absurd. Legislating the definition is acceptable. Legislating against abortion is highly desired. Legislating against murder is expected.
I’m torn on this. I see your point but can’t logically accept it in its entirety. Let’s say the guv decided murder is okay and is now legal…some might say this is happening in the form of abortion or euthanism. At some point I feel the the church has to stand up and shout out against it. We can’t be complacent. As morals decay in society we have to be there to point to the Bible and say it’s wrong. Where was the church during the Holocaust? (I really don’t know the answer to this question) I’m afraid that if the church is silent on moral issues in the public forum then society will continually sink deeper into moral depravity. Some aspect of legislation is necessary.
Legislation will never guarantee morality. The church always has to be there, in love, to point people to the Bible and to Christ. Part of this has to be telling others what is Truth and what is sin. If people are not aware of or convicted of their sin, why on earth would they need a Saviour?

Reply
David

December 3, 2008 at 11:18 am

Keith, I strongly agree with your statement, “At some point I feel the the church has to stand up and shout out against it. We can’t be complacent.” I suppose the debate begins when those who share belief begin to articulate what it means to “stand up”. For some this involves strong political lobbying and legislation. For others (perhaps the Mennonites and Amish are the best example) it means being removed from society in order to demonstrate a completely different way of living. Most of us probably fall somewhere between these two poles.

I also agree with your statement, “The church always has to be there, in love, to point people to the Bible and to Christ. Part of this has to be telling others what is Truth and what is sin.” Where I get nervous is when our Gospel proclamation (including a description of life within God’s Kingdom: truth, sin, etc) relies on government. This seems to me to place too much faith in the state and not enough in the Body of Christ.

As an aside, this morning I listened to a recent episode of Fresh Air. Host Terry Gross interviewed Richard Cizik, the vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals. It’s a fascinating interview that touches on some of the themes we’ve been discussing here. Cizik addresses gay marriage at about the 8:00 minute mark.

Reply