another challenge?
I first received this article from a friend in Nashville with a simple question attached to it - Could you do this? The question intrigued me so I opened up the link and read the article.
In sum, a group of 10 in San Francisco decided to go on a shopping sabbatical. The group allowed themselves food, essential toiletries and purchases that fell under the categories of health and safety but all else was off-limits...for a year.
Why? One member put it this way, "It is about being aware of the excesses of consumer culture and the fact we are drawing down our resources and making people miserable around the world."
They did it throughout 2006 and have extended their pledge throughout 2007.
After reading the article, I responded to my friend's question - Could you do it? - with the following statement:
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In sum, a group of 10 in San Francisco decided to go on a shopping sabbatical. The group allowed themselves food, essential toiletries and purchases that fell under the categories of health and safety but all else was off-limits...for a year.
Why? One member put it this way, "It is about being aware of the excesses of consumer culture and the fact we are drawing down our resources and making people miserable around the world."
They did it throughout 2006 and have extended their pledge throughout 2007.
After reading the article, I responded to my friend's question - Could you do it? - with the following statement:
It has the potential to be spiritually rewarding as the Bible often speaks about money, the use of it and the power it has over us. I can imagine the Lord's Prayer coming to life in new ways as one utters the phrase, "Give us the day our daily bread." But that's not really what you asked, is it? The question you're asking me is, "Are you disciplined enough to do it?" And the current answer is "no" which goes to show how incredibly pathetic and shallow I really am.So now that I'm exposed, what about you? Could you accept the challenge of going on a shopping sabbatical? Why or why not?
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posted by jch at
2:00 PM
5 Comments:
I did that last year for Lent. It was a lot harder than I expected, but rewarding. I noticed how freely I was spending money on meaningless things that I didn't need. Books was the hardest thing for me to restrain from. And music. But rewarding. I may do it for Lent again this year, but I'm not sure I could do it for a whole year.
what a nice idea for a Lenten discipline.
I love the idea. I don't know if I could do it, though, now that we have a baby. I've been noticing on a lot of Clare's toys that the tags proudly proclaim, "100% new material." I don't really know what that's about or why these tags proclaim newness with the same sense of moral higher ground as Starbucks coffee sleeves proclaim their % post-consumer recycled-ness.
I also am not able to refrain from purchase of books, this being a matter of livelihood as well as temperament.
On the other hand, a LOT of what we own is secondhand...mainly because Brent's mom does estate sales and throws a lot of goodies our way: furniture, clothes, kitchen gadgets, you name it. So much so that now that I think about it, it really doesn't discourage the consumer mentality in me all that much...so maybe I'm a loser all around.
I think it's a great idea for lent, as well. The question is, though: is Sonic food the same as a sandwich from home? Not to me, but it "counts" as food.
Anyway, I'm with you, Joe, that right this minute, no I couldn't. And the simple, honest answer is that for YEARS my husband and I have HAD to live that way trying to get out of debt, etc. We finally are and I feel like I "deserve" to make purchases for my home, self, etc. after not being able to for years. I know, I am promised nothing on this earth, not even another day here -- but it would be a battle of self I cannot (will not? ouch...) take on right now.
I wish I could say it surprises me that there's only been three comments on this topic. But it doesn't. It's not a popular subject for discussion.
I do appreciate when people can be honest and say that they CHOOSE not to accept these kinds of challenges. How we decide to spend our money is always a CHOICE, as much as we humans like to think we're "entitled".
I just commented to my wife that I am not surprised there are only 4 comments.
I thank you for your honesty. I struggle with money at times. Shane Claiborne's book The Irrestible Revolution described generosity being measured not by how much a person gives but by how much that person has left. Even after buying things I really don't need, I still have a whole lot.
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