I wanted to write something about Black Friday, but as I sit here and think, only questions come to mind. I am myself absorbed in the consumerism culture, not detached as I would hope I could be. Even through I won't shop today, I will shop other days and I will still continue to benefit from others' cheap labors.
As a person studying for living a life in ministry, often I feel the need to have the answers, to have it all figured out. But most of the time I stumble my way through, trusting on God to lead me. I am not divine, instead I am a human who makes errors every day, who is just trying to be faithful to a leading despite my shortcomings.
Sometimes I feel that all I have to offer others are the questions that I struggle with.
So... Here are the questions I am struggling with today:
Why do I celebrate Jesus' birthday while bowing down to another god, Consumerism?
Why do I benefit off of other people's cheap labor, when I wouldn't work for that same wage or under similar conditions?
Why do I find it easier to say my feelings through material gifts, instead of words?
How can I balance my desire for a stable life with my desire to stand in solidarity with others, who are abused by a system that favors cheap goods over their lives?
How can I live more deeply into these questions and not look for immediate, feel-good answers?
What questions are you struggling with today?
