One of the interesting things about the first-century city of Corinth is that it was known for being a place where status mattered based on who people knew, not unlike the world we live in today. In fact, people were known for “buying” friends so that they could appear more important to the rest of society. Today, our world tells us that happiness can be bought, for the right price. I was particularly struck by this when a friend pointed us to The Story of Stuff, which is a clever video that demonstrates how consumerism has infested how we think about almost everything. Think about it:

• Black Friday is one of the most anticipated days of the fall.
• When a new _____ (fill in the blank) comes out, we’re convinced that our old _____ is obsolete.
• In Christian circles we have a term called “church-shopping.”

All of this drives us to believe that if we can just get the next thing that fits our perceived needs, we’ll be satisfied. I’m not immune to this. People in college used to connect me to the expressions, “I can’t stop eating,” and “Buy more, save more.” Now I would say things partially in jest, but I think part of it pointed to an inner reality that accumulation of things – objects, food, friends, or status symbols (think college degrees or that cool job) – would lead to an inner joy. But it never does.

The cross tells us a different story. Where consumerism asks the question what can I buy?, the cross gives the answer: you’ve been bought. A big part of what I’ve been learning is that spiritual vitality is deeply intertwined with sustainable living. That means physical, emotional, and spiritual sustainability. Now, consumerism constantly feeds our addiction to accumulate more for ourselves in order to fulfill our longing for satisfaction, propelling us into an unsustainable cycle – physically, emotionally, and spiritually – that will only leave us high and dry in the end. The gospel, on the other hand, points us to the sustainable source of unending joy – Jesus Christ himself. If our complete hope and identity is built on the cross, then what emerges out of that is sustainable living, and hence, spiritual vitality. It can’t be built in the other direction: seeking certain types of output and hoping that it fills our core need won’t work.

That’s what we want to be a part of building here in the city: sustainable life patterns that find their root in the gospel and sprout healthy, joy-filled, vibrant living. Everything that we do, all our decisions, all our spending patterns, are fed through the matrix of the gospel. I’m in. What do you say?

*Here’s a preview of that video, by the way. I’d highly recommend watching it.