c. 2008 Religion News Service
NEW YORK _ Valentine’s Day recently came and went.
Other than homeward-bound pedestrians carrying flowers, my most memorable sighting on this day dedicated to love _ an ancient fertility festival rebranded for Christian martyrs _ was a clerk outside the Godiva store holding a $65 heart-shaped box of chocolates. His mute reminder of duty spoke loudly.
Next up in the intertwining of commerce and religion will be Easter, a day still alive on the church calendar and a bonanza for merchants selling candy, flowers and brunch.
Then comes a long spell when the balance shifts when Christianity does little that invites commercialization. (What product begs to be sold on Pentecost or Trinity Sunday?) Commercial attention shifts to mothers, graduates, fathers, and, of course, summer fun.
Following the marketplace’s lead, the typical church adapts its rhythm: sermons about Mom, farewells to graduates, a brief nod to Dad, and “summer schedule,” a self-defeating scaling back that occurs at precisely the time many newcomers are church-shopping.
Some view this intertwining of commerce and religion with disdain. Their skepticism reaches its peak at the perfect storm of Christmas: ancient solstice festival, Christian spectacular, and the selling season that makes or breaks our consumer economy.
Others say, “So what?” Religion is always contextual. For centuries, Christianity propped up empires, feudal fiefdoms, colonial exploitation, child labor, slavery, patriotic fervor and social conformity. What’s wrong with offering a temporary baptism to Mothers Day?
I tend toward the latter view. Even when the church that is sensitive to context drifts into pandering, it is tracking with people’s lives. As a result, it might be open to their angst, joys, needs and hunger for God in daily life. After all, the coinciding of Graduation Day and the Day of Pentecost preaches nicely.
The challenge, it seems to me, isn’t how to avoid a culture’s commercial festivals, but how to bring the gospel to bear on that culture’s dark sides.
The collapse of public education, for example, shouldn’t be just a worry for parents and for employers; it should be a primary cause for Christian witness, because public education is the ground on which American democracy stands. If upward mobility stalls and the masses become unemployable, our current drift into predatory plutocracy will worsen.
The collapse of electoral politics into money-grubbing, image-over-substance and the manipulation of “race cards” and “gender cards” should be a primary cause for Christian witness, too. This isn’t about conservative vs. liberal. It is about quality of leadership, breadth of vision, inspiration of citizens and our critical need to place community and civility at least equal to self-interest. It is about courage standing taller than fear.
Although “family values” became code language for bashing gays and lesbians, the actual collapse and coarsening of family life should be a primary cause for Christian witness. Children need to be loved. Partners need to be faithful. Homes need to be centered in something more life-giving than gadgets and entertainment.
Loneliness, anonymity, unaffordable lifestyles, lives turned inward and other unintended consequences of urban/suburban culture should be a primary cause for Christian witness. If citizens lack the spiritual and emotional fortitude to live with decency, self-confidence and sacrifice, we are sitting ducks for demagogues offering scapegoats and cheap comfort.
Toy bunnies bearing the label “Easter” are the least of our concerns.
(Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the author of “Just Wondering, Jesus,” and the founder of the Church Wellness Project, http://www.churchwellness.com. His Web site is http://www.morningwalkmedia.com.)
KRE DS END EHRICH650 words
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