National Day of Prayer and this thing called "Consumerism"

Today, May 3rd, is the National Day of Prayer. And what a fitting day to pick, since finals have officially started for Baylor University. Even though my finals don't start until Monday, I know some people are taking them today. To those people I say, good luck and I'm praying for you.
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This next issue is for those who watch 'Lost'.
*spoiler alert*

Last night's episode was crazy, wasn't it? It's insane how the writers are linking all the characters together. I never would have thought Locke's dad was the same man who conned Sawyer's mom all those years ago. Craziness...

I cannot wait for next week's episode! I wonder what's going to happen with the girl that crashed there...will they get saved or not? This will most likely be the question they will end on at the season finale.
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Since I've banned the Fox network, I've been having to find out what's happened on the shows I previously watched from people generous enough to write about them. And thankfully, this week on American Idol they did not vote off my favorite contestant, Blake Lewis. Instead they got rid of Chris and Phil. I'm not that sorry to see them go. If you haven't been watching, or following the performances on YouTube like I've had to do, you missed Blake's rendition of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name". It was amazing and luckily for you I've made it easy for you to watch. *Just click here* :)
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This next issue is going to be a long one, and I have to give credit to Relevant magazine for getting me to think about it.

Everyone knows Americans are the worst people to consult when it comes to resource management. A report published by the Center for Environment and Population (CEP) in 2006 found that though the United States accounts for only 5 percent of the world's population, it uses 23 percent of the world's energy, 28 percent of its paper and consumes 15 percent of its meat. The average American is responsible for 5 pounds of waste per day -- that's compared to 3 pounds in Europe.

With figures like those you have to wonder, how are we, as Christians, supposed to live the teachings of Christ in this materialistic society?

Some of you may know about these "prosperity gospel" preachers who say if you live according to God's word you'll become rich and safe and live a good, long life, etc. Joel Osteen is one of these preachers. Or you may have seen, or even attend, a "megachurch", where the only thing that seems to matter is how many people they can bring in. (There are always exceptions, so please do not be offended if you are a member of one of these churches.)

The worst thing, in my opinion, is how much social justice involvement has become "the thing to do." I don't know how much more I can take. Now I'm a member of the ONE campaign and I think what they're doing is great, but is celebrity endorsement the only way to get people involved in something worthwhile? And what about (RED)? Their "manifesto" is about how if we buy a product that endorses RED, the product's company will contribute a percentage of its profits to RED, which will use the money to buy medicine to help people with AIDS in Africa. I think that's terrific, but why not just donate the money you're going to use to buy whatever product to an organization that does the same thing? Cut out the middle man. In my opinion RED is just another fad, just one more fashionable logo, of the current "getting involved" trend. Fashion reasons won't motivate you in the long haul, so that means something has to change.

So how do those who have been raised in this materialistic society cultivate a passion for giving, justice and faith if (and when) the initial motivation runs out?

Luke 18 -- Jesus tells a rich man who has kept God's commandments to sell everything he owns and give the money to the poor. But, unfortunately, this man cannot do such a thing. This reaction, and what I think Jesus is trying to show, points to where one's heart is and how much control money has in an individual's life.

Don Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, gives his interpretation of what Luke 18 means and how it applies to us. "The real issue is about addiction," Miller says. "We live in a culture that's addicted to money, and we're addicted to what money can buy us. And we're fooled into thinking that, 'I can buy this product, and this product will make me happy.' And we're fooled because the average American sees 3,000 commercial images a day. It's like somebody constantly asking you if you want crack-3,000 times a day. And you only take it once a day...that's not good."

In my opinion, the whole commercial thing is going a little too far. Yes, I agree advertising is designed to make people want the product or service being shown, but it's not as bad as someone asking you if want crack. (Well, maybe in McDonald's case it is...) But, aside from that, people should be smart enough to realize the difference between an advertisement and reality. If that wasn't the case, the FTC would be fining ad agencies all day long. However, I do think advertising to children should be strongly restricted, which America is kind of coming around to...but this is a whole other discussion.

I don't know where your heart lays or how you view money, but here are some ideas that could help you get started.

• Tithing is always good -- not necessarily the 10% rule, but what you think would meet the needs of the church or of the poor

• Become a part of a community -- a place you can be yourself, where your life is influenced by the relationships you have with others, and where the nature of those relationships revolve around giving

• Make a conscious choice to get out of personal debt -- be it with a credit card, or student loans, or living beyond your means

And here are some sites you should look into.

• Relational Tithe -- an online network where people can connect over needs. You can contribute to the seed fund, or seek out a specific need to interact with.

• Medi-Share -- a Christian health care solution company that connects believers who share the costs of medical bills and, in turn, save money individually.

• Freecycle -- a movement of people across the globe who are giving and getting stuff for free in their local communities.

If you have any ideas or websites to add, feel free to leave a comment.
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Sorry this was such a long entry. People shouldn't leave me with nothing to do at work for three hours straight...because then something like this comes about...