Black Friday Thoughts

I have no problem with anyone finding a good holiday sale on black Friday, but I can’t escape feelings of despair at the thought of this annual carnival of consumerism. It’s partly guilt at the thought of so much money that will be spent on luxury goods and gadgets; it’s partly frustration that Black Friday is ironically linked to a holiday in which Americans (in theory) express their gratitude for and contentment with God’s blessings.

This leads me to ask, what are Christians to make of all this? 

We can condemn the excesses of consumer culture and the commercialization of the holidays… but that message, which I’ve heard repeated every year since I first watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special, feels these days less like a bold spiritual statement and more like a dreary and obligatory annual Culture War complaint. We can abstain from Black Friday and the frenzied consumerism it represents, or at least moderate our participation. But is there anything positive we can do as we head into another holiday season marked by sales and rebates?

The following are a few questions that came to me today:

How much less will I spend on material goods in order to give more to my church?

What will my prayer and devotional life be like over the holidays?

Is there a particular book, devotional, or study I want to work through?

Are there any habits or behaviors God is calling me to give up?

What holiday programs in my community do I want to get involved with?

Who do I want to spend extra time with this holiday season?

What charities and organizations do we want to support this holiday season?

Who in my community is going to need some extra help (financially, emotionally, or something else) this Christmas? How will I help them?



T