What Would Jesus Buy? (By Becky Garrison)
I became aware of Rev. Billy last year through my friend Jahneen Otis, who serves as the musical director of St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery. Some of her musicians and singers perform in the Stop Shopping Choir and the Ain't Buying It Band, so she got me a ticket to see him perform. Also, I read an insightful history and analysis of Rev. Billy's ministry, courtesy of Walter Bruggemann's article, "What Would Jesus Buy?," in the November 2007 issue of Sojourners.
My interest piqued in this unique brand of street theater activism, I decided to check out the movie What Would Jesus Buy? Throughout this new documentary (produced by Morgan Spurlock of Supersize Me), Rev. Billy and his Stop Shopping choir assume the persona of street preachers as they rally against the gospel of consumerism. According to Rev. Billy (real name Bill Talen), "If we can change Christmas, then we can change the rest of the year."
During his appearance in this flick, Jim Wallis offers the astute reflection that "The shopping mall is a symbol of all that's wrong with America." The film illustrates this by documenting the groups' two month long tour of America's shopping malls. Ironically, their eco-friendly tour bus powered by veggie oil gets rear ended by an 18-wheeler rushing to deliver its goods. While the director and a few others were sent to the ICU for a while, these scrappy souls were able to charter a bus, finish the tour, and complete the documentary.
This film's highlights include the righteous reverend driving the money changers out of the Mall of America before he is chased away by mall security, performing a funeral for small town America at Wal-Mart's headquarters, and getting arrested on Christmas Day at the Promised Land (aka Disneyland).
The day after I watched this flick, I had the blessed opportunity to catch Rev. Billy live at the Highline Ballroom in New York City. He delivered a power packed message that now is not the time to be a gradualist. He said we must take immediate steps to defeat the devil of consumerism that has taken over this country. His call for radical transformation reminded me of the message espoused by Brian McLaren in his new book Everything Must Change.
After Billy's sermon, I sauntered over to All Angels Church, where my good buddy Shane Claiborne was being hosted by New York Faith & Justice. I had reported on their launch and was delighted that this grassroots group started by four New Yorkers who met at the Sojourners/Call to Renewal Pentecost 2006 Conference was becoming a positive force for social change. As always, Shane posed a simple yet insightful question: "Why do we celebrate the birthday of a refugee born in a manger by buying stuff?"
For those looking for creative ways to get back to the true spirit of Christmas, check out The Alternative for Simple Living's advent booklet, Whose Birthday is it Anyway? And if you want to make a meaningful gift that has a direct connection to those living in the Holy Land, The International Center of Bethlehem offers unique crafts that are created by college students looking to pay for their education. Two offerings that caught my eye were hand-crafted silver olive leaf jewelry and glass art pieces made out of fragments of broken bottles thrown away or glass destroyed during the Israeli invasion of Bethlehem. Also, though Habitat for Humanity Jordan, donors can give a gift that will benefit people living in poverty conditions in both rural and urban neighborhoods across Jordan. Donations range from $5,650 for a 590-square-foot house to $6.00 for a bag of cement. For more information, email info@habitatjordan.org.
While I was penning this piece, I received a press release announcing that the Rev. Sam Morris, senior pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Columbus, Mississippi, and adjunct professor at the Jerusalem Institute for Biblical Exploration (J.I.B.E.), is spearheading an all-volunteer team of U.S., Israeli, and Palestinian musicians for a four-city Holy Land Christmas Concert Tour that will culminate in the largest Christmas Eve concert in Bethlehem's Manger Square since 1999.
These snippets from the Holy Land brought me back to Rev. Billy's preaching at the Highline Ballroom when he asked the crowd, "What if we gave the gift of Christmas itself? After all, isn't Christmas about celebrating the birth of a child we hope would grow up to teach up peace?" Amen, brother.
Becky Garrison's books include The New Atheist Crusaders and their Unholy Grail: Their Misguided Quest to Destroy Your Faith (Thomas Nelson, January 2008), Red and Blue God, Black and Blue Church, and Rising from the Ashes: Rethinking Church.
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Comments
"As always, Shane posed a simple yet insightful question: "Why do we celebrate the birthday of a refugee born in a manger by buying stuff?" "
Because people brought gifts to Jesus and because people like buying each other stuff. Did they literally go to the currency exchange counter at the MOA, or are money-changers simply the people who sell shirts and pretzels?
I'm not a big Christmas fan in general, but people take themselves way too seriously. If people didn't buy stuff, this blog wouldn't exist.
Posted by: kevin s. | December 6, 2007 2:08 PM
Because people brought gifts to Jesus and because people like buying each other stuff. Did they literally go to the currency exchange counter at the MOA, or are money-changers simply the people who sell shirts and pretzels?
We have big time moneychangers now, Kevin.
They live on Wall Street and worship the bitch goddess of the bottom line.
Posted by: justintime | December 6, 2007 4:17 PM
Just at the moment I can't get the words of a Tom Lehrer song out of my head:
Relations sparing no expense'll
Send some useless old utensil
Or a matching pen or pencil
"Just the thing I want, how nice"
It doesn't matter how sincere it
is, nor how heartfelt the spirit -
Sentiment will not endear it:
What's important is the price.
Written in 1954.
What I object to about "Christmas" as conventionally celebrated is the sense of compulsion about it - it takes a lot of strength of mind to resist the peer pressure to go out and buy pointless things.
Actually, there's something else I object to, and that's the way that the stark reality of Jesus' birth has to be washed down with sentimental drivel about reindeer and trees and energy-wasting lights and snow and elves - and for that matter donkeys and little drummer boys - and the desires of retailers.
Sorry, better stop before I need to be restrained.
Mark (but you can call me Ebenezer)
Posted by: Mark | December 6, 2007 4:21 PM
I completely agree with ending the Christmas madness and instead celebrating the birth of our Saviour in meaningful ways. But, I ask this - Have Reverend Billy and others against consumerism thought about the impact it would have on the ecomony if people just stopped buying things? A lot of people's jobs rely on the current level of consumption. What would really happen if people stopped buying?
Posted by: Beth | December 6, 2007 5:22 PM
Great blog, Becky! Thanks for raising awareness about these important issues. Check out another blog on "What Would Jesus Buy?" here: http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2007/12/what-would-jesu.html
If you are going to be buying some things this Christmas, make sure they are worker-friendly. Check out the Shop with a Conscience consumer guide (and avoid the companies in the Sweatshop Hall of Shame) here: http://www.sweatfree.org/shopping
Posted by: Labor Rights | December 6, 2007 5:43 PM
Beth -- you will have your answer soon. Not only are people apparently spending less this year, thanks to the rising cost of necessities. More long-term is the fact that we are an aging population. Older people spend less on non-essentials. Lets face it, my appliances and car will probably outlive me. Maybe we will start to get our priorities in order if we no longer feel compelled to buy whatever new gadget is being advertised this week. Maybe kids won't feel like outsiders just because they don't wear the current best tennis shoe. We can only hope.
Posted by: c kitty | December 6, 2007 6:25 PM
This sounds hilarious!
"This film's highlights include the righteous reverend driving the money changers out of the Mall of America before he is chased away by mall security"
Billy, please. The Mall is not God's house, people who sell in malls are not forcing people to buy stuff to be right with God. There is NOTHING unbiblical in and of itself about having a place to sell merchandise. In Biblical times, they had MARKETPLACES, which were pretty much the same thing (though without a child's play area sponsored by the local newspaper).
"performing a funeral for small town America at Wal-Mart's headquarters"
Billy, do you realize how much Wal-Mart has done to increase the standard of living for low-income people? And how effective they were in providing disaster relief in the wake of hurricane Katrina?
"and getting arrested on Christmas Day at the Promised Land (aka Disneyland)."
Why do I get the feeling he deserved it?
How come SoJo-type people don't ever do anything to hassle tax collectors? They were the oppressors of the poor in Jesus' day. (Rhetorical question - I know the answer. :-)
Posted by: Brent | December 6, 2007 9:17 PM
Mark:
Actually, we can go further, even theologically. Jesus was not born in December; the most likely date is mid-Autumn (late Sept/early Oct), based on Josephus' dating of John the Baptist's birth in early Spring (and we know Jesus was exactly six months younger). The celebration of Jesus' birth was "subsumed" into the pagan holiday of Saturnalia - originally much against the Church's wishes. The "Christmas tree" is a pagan practice (see Jer 10:2-4). Gift-giving, although often associated with the magi, was actually formally incorporated into the holiday via St. Nicholas, a 4th century Turkish priest, from whom we get St. Nick, Santa Claus, and all his other names (Pere Noel, Kris Kringle et al). Christmas "carols" originated out of pagan circle dances, and were originally banned by the Church.
I could go on. The point is that there is little or nothing "Christian" about Christmas at all - even setting aside the crass commercialism and consumerism associated with it.
Peace.
Posted by: Maani | December 6, 2007 10:10 PM
It's been clear for a long time that Christmas has little to do with Christ, in fact, distracts us from paying attention to what He tried to teach us. We put all this energy in celebrating His birth and death, yet leave out the 3 plus years in between.
So we should just treat Christmas for the secular holiday it is -- like the Fourth of July.
As for gifts-- I love to give gifts, but I put more thought and effort into them than money and I find people really enjoy that, in fact, they ask for repeats the next year! Once you find out what kind of socks, candy bar, lotion, etc someone really likes, it gets pretty easy. And they know you were thinking of them. I think what He would have us do is to be kind. And put it in a pretty package.
Find out what the recipient's favorite charity is, make a donation and wrap the card in with a bunch of flowers.
Posted by: c kitty | December 7, 2007 12:12 AM
There's things I like about Rev. Billy, and things I don't like so much. The trailer for the movie shows the giant Wal-Mart sign in Bentonville, but fails to show the humility of its actual headquarters building.
Wal-Mart makes the use of CO2 lower by shipping more efficiently, storing more goods under one roof so shoppers don't have to drive from one mom-n-pop to another, uses more efficient heating, cooling, and lighting systems than mom-n-pops could and encourages other firms to find ways to do the same, not out of benevolence, but out of self-interest.
Buying gifts for one another is nice, so we prefer to emphasize friends' and family member's birthdays. Lucky for us two of these fall very close to Christmas! Encouraging saving, and giving to the least of these is a good thing which Christians ought to encourage one another into and set themselves apart from the world by practicing. But we ought not to expect it from the world, or even to criticize the world for behaving that way.
Nathanael Snow
ndsnow@gmail.com
Posted by: jurisnaturalist | December 7, 2007 1:41 AM
Oh, and the correct response to Billy’s question:
“What would Jesus buy?” is:
Jesus would buy your soul and He would give His own life to pay for it.
Nathanael Snow
Posted by: jurisnaturalist | December 7, 2007 1:43 AM
"I'm not a big Christmas fan in general, but people take themselves way too seriously. If people didn't buy stuff, this blog wouldn't exist."
And neither would you.
Posted by: Bruce | December 7, 2007 5:07 AM
Btw, there is a list here of Palestinian products that are available around the world.
Posted by: Joe | December 7, 2007 8:45 AM
Juris:
"Oh, and the correct response to Billy’s question:
'What would Jesus buy?' is: Jesus would buy your soul and He would give His own life to pay for it."
Beautifully put. Nothing further need be said.
Peace.
Posted by: Maani | December 7, 2007 10:53 AM
"Have Reverend Billy and others against consumerism thought about the impact it would have on the ecomony if people just stopped buying things? A lot of people's jobs rely on the current level of consumption. What would really happen if people stopped buying?"
Good point, but relatively easy to answer. If people just stopped buying things, it would change our economy. The markets would change. There would be growing pains, and household incomes would go down, but becasue people see less need to buy things, expenditures would go down as well. We would still have free-market capitalism, of course, but it would just be in a country with a much simpler standard of living.
Of course, everything I've described is utopian, and a reasonable person wouldn't predict that it would come to pass any time in the near future. Just as a reasonable person wouldn't expect so many Americans to stop shopping that the economy would be substantially affected. So you have one less reason to resist considering scaling down on Christmas this year, but of course it's your decision.
Posted by: I and I | December 7, 2007 12:05 PM
I think its important to know that Reverend Billy is not trying to make a religious point- he's a performer. Therefore, he really isn't taking himself seriously. However, that doesn't mean we can't learn something from him.
Posted by: cynthia | December 7, 2007 12:07 PM
Well if we all stopped shopping and the economy took a nose dive we'd have one more thing to pin on George Bush and the Evil Republicans. Then Hillary could get elected and we'd have socialized medicine so we could spend all our time waiting to see our Doctors instead of wandering aroung the malls. Another perfect liberal plan. At the same time......we all spend so much time and money on useless crap and hold dear to our material possessions at the expense of relationships with people. That needs to change and I'll start with myself!
Posted by: debario | December 7, 2007 3:54 PM
I would really appreciate a post that specializes on alternative gifts for Christmas! that would be a huge help!
Posted by: Jennifer Jameson | December 8, 2007 3:53 PM
Jennifer - towards the end of my article, I suggest that readers looking for alternative gifts check out Alternatives for Simple Living. I also gave a listing of a few gifts from the Holy Land where the proceeds go to help those living in the area. Hope that gets you started on your journey.
Posted by: Becky Garrison | December 8, 2007 4:04 PM
Well put:
“What would Jesus buy?”
Jesus would buy your soul and He would give His own life to pay for it.
Nathanael Snow
Posted by: jurisnaturalist | December 7, 2007 1:43 AM
and reposted by me. We can barely celebrate Christmas in this secular state because most anything we do might "offend" someone. How sad.
Posted by: Witness for Peace | December 8, 2007 8:38 PM
"We can barely celebrate Christmas in this secular state because most anything we do might "offend" someone. How sad."
That's a Limbaugh/Fox News soundbite, and it's absurd. I live in a very secular college town in California. The Christian community here, of which I'm part of, has never had difficulty celebrating Xmas.
Posted by: carl copas | December 10, 2007 2:38 PM
Glad to hear that small Calif. towns are doing well. I'll admit to exaggerating a bit!
Signed,
The Grinch from Massachusetts
P.S. Limbaugh ranges from annoying to loathesome. Sorry I reminded you of him. I don't listen to Fox or any other news. But I wonder--don't you like a diversity of viewpoints?
Posted by: Witness for Peace | December 10, 2007 6:07 PM
For a Jewish perspective on "Merry Christmas" check this out:
http://www.jews4fairness.org/pr122206.php
Posted by: Witness for Peace | December 10, 2007 8:44 PM
Thanks, Witness, for the link. It was interesting. However, when I checked out who this group is at this link--
http://www.jews4fairness.org/who.php-- I realized that they are an ardently pro-Republican organization that says they "appreciate" the Christian Zionists. In other words, they seem to have an agenda beyond manger creches.
Posted by: I and I | December 11, 2007 9:58 AM
Thanks for checking it out. Is there something wrong with Jews being conservatives?
Posted by: Witness for Peace | December 12, 2007 9:01 AM
HOw can I get the list of
statistics that the movie
WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY?
put forth during its presentation...
example: We can house all the people in AMerica in Big Box stores under roof now!
Posted by: Tomm | December 12, 2007 3:18 PM
HOw can I get the list of
statistics that the movie
WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY?
put forth during its presentation...
example: We can house all the people in AMerica in Big Box stores under roof now!
Posted by: Tomm | December 12, 2007 3:18 PM
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