We consume. That’s a fact of life. “Overcoming Consumerism”, our mini-theme this week, is not about ending consumption but rather paying more attention to why we buy what we buy, how much we buy, and what kinds of things we ultimately spend our money on. In this post, MSA teammate Katie Metzger challenges us to consider the source of our clothing purchases. What impact does your Christmas shopping have on those who produce and sell your gifts? Whether or not we realize it, shopping reflects our values.
Female Garment Workers in Thailand
Look at the clothes you are wearing right now….Would you believe that 80-90% of what you are wearing was made in inhumane, unsustainable conditions?
Well, the sad fact is, this is most often the case. Sweatshops are not a thing of the past. Buying well-made, high end clothing does not mean that it is made in any different conditions than Old Navy or Walmart clothing.
This is hard to swallow, and as someone who loves fashion and also believes that all people bear the image of God, it can seem too overwhelming to even think about. However, information and acknowledgement is where change begins.
So why should you care about where your clothing comes from and what can you, practically, do?
When discussing the issue of ethicality in the clothing industry, one may have images of sweatshops and child laborers in developing nations toiling all day in inhumane conditions. Although this image may seem extreme, it is a very real aspect of our current garment and fashion industry practices worldwide.
Sweatshops from Bangladesh to Cambodia routinely pay their workers less than $1.20 per day for their work. This is not a living wage, even in poverty stricken communities. The chronic underpayment of garment industry workers creates a cycle of poverty in already struggling communities, in turn contributing to other social issues resulting from poverty such as lack of access to education, health problems, and prostitution. Sweatshops are not only present in developing nations but are also a growing problem in the United States.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in recent years roughly 11,000 U.S. based factories were cited as violating workers rights and not paying laborers a minimum wage. This shows the problem of human rights violations in textile and garment factories is not only an international problem but a domestic problem as well. Additionally, many companies touted as being ethically made have had numerous sweatshop scandals. When it comes to clothing ethicality we must learn to be active, not passive, consumers of information.
Ethical Clothing Brand: Same Thread
In 2006, a study was done by the American Sociological Association regarding the marketability of fair trade products; this study found that an overwhelming majority of consumers would pay $1-$5 more for items they know are made in an ethical way.
Although large strides towards ethical production have been made in the coffee, chocolate and food industry, the clothing industry remains hugely underserved.
I am someone who loves fashion and clothing. The thrill of a new dress or pair of shoes is not lost on me. However, I also believe that all humans are entitled to certain God given rights that must be respected.
As I’ve become more interested in ethicality and the fashion industry I keep asking myself, “What can I, practically, do?”. Not all of us can afford to shop exclusively from fair trade clothing brands, and more often than not the aesthetics in fair trade clothing is extremely lacking. So what small changes can we make to have a positive impact on the clothing industry?
1. Realize that someone is paying the price for your clothing…is it you or the garment worker? Jeans should cost more than $9.99. When you come across clothing that is extremely cheap ask yourself, “what kind of production practices lend itself to producing a $3 tank top”? The answer is usually pretty obvious.
2. Inform yourself about your favorite brands. It is well-known that companies such as Forever 21, H&M, Victoria’s Secret, and Walmart have unethical supply chains. However, information and transparency is severely lacking for many brands. Do some digging online and if nothing is available, request information. Here is a thorough list to get you started on what companies to avoid and which to buy.
3. If you are unsure, shop local and second-hand. Finding local markets and boutiques supports your local economy and makes it easier to engage in conversation and get information. Also, second-hand and vintage shopping can be a cost-effective and fun way to go! Most of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe were found at great vintage stores. I love that shopping locally and second-hand gives me a unique wardrobe and personal style.
4. Start exploring and support fair trade fashion companies. As I stated earlier, finding fair trade clothing that is actually fashionable can be a struggle. Many fair trade clothing companies are either insanely expensive or produce clothing you wouldn’t want to wear. However, lately there has been a huge surge of new fashionable clothing companies that are competitively priced. Here is a list of some of my current fair trade favorites: Mata Traders, People Tree, Fair Indigo, Sseko
Due to the lack on choice in the ethical clothing market, In early 2015 my business partner and I launched our first collection of fashion forward, ethically made clothing. Same Thread helps to empower women vulnerable to the sex industry in Thailand by providing economic opportunity while expanding fair trade choices for consumers. For more information visit us at samethread.com.
Informing ourselves and leaning into change is the first step to breaking our collective addiction to fast fashion. Join me in working to bring reconciliation and progress to the fashion industry!
Katie is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Same Thread, an ethical clothing brand for women. She also serves on staff at Mustard Seed Associates and The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. She is a native Pacific Northwesterner with a passion for social justice and bringing fair trade business practices into the mainstream.
In 2014 she completed her MA in International Development at Northwest University, where she focused on social enterprise and it’s capacity to economically empower women. She has a background in event planning, marketing, design and retail production. On a typical Saturday she can be found cooking, sewing, drawing, listening to records, vintage shopping, sipping whiskey and playing with her puppies.
Rip! Another calendar page bites the dust. November is upon us and the stores are already crammed with Christmas decorations. Even before Halloween we were bombarded with Christmas and Thanksgiving items ready to be snatched up by the all-too-easily-influenced consumer.
All this reminds me why we chose to focus November on preparing our hearts and homes for Advent and Christmas. We need to be proactive. It’s not just the temptation to be swept up by the marketing machine; the pace of our lives seem to keep time with the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Before we know it, it’s January first and we’re making resolutions to do better next Christmas.
Resistance Is Futile! (or is it?)
“Overcoming Consumerism” is our mini-theme this week. What can we do to resist the onslaught? First and foremost, we need to be intentional. Most often I think we acknowledge the craziness of the season, wish it were different, then plunge in without a plan. In her post “Seven Tips for a Stress Free Advent and Christmas”, Christine Sine gives excellent advice to carve out physical and emotional space conducive to keeping our center during this frenetic time of year.
You might also take our four November mini-themes as reflection points as you both begin and end the week. Here they are:
- Week 1: Overcoming Consumerism — Resisting the drive for more.
- Week 2: Resting in Chaos — How to create space for rest when the world is whipped up into a frenzy.
- Week 3: Keeping It Simple
- Week 4: Making Space for Hospitality — Ideas for gatherings of welcome and moments of connecting.
With this framework, you could begin your week asking:
- What are the temptations to overconsume this coming week? Why am I tempted by them? (Knowing what motivates us to overconsume is a deeply spiritual issue). How can I become more aware of my unhealthy motivations as I go about my week?
- What gives me peace? What can I do this week that will help me to rest and refocus? As Christine suggests, you might create a place of rest in or around your home. You might try setting an alarm on your phone to 9 am, 12 noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm – simple reminders to stop, pray, and rest for a moment in God. Perhaps you could change how you take lunch, turning that time into a sacred break in the middle of your day.
- In the week ahead, where am I tempted to make things complicated? For many, Advent and Christmas are times to go overboard on decorations, lavish treats and dinners, and packed schedules. Take time to reflect on what is most important. If helpful, reframe your gatherings from entertainment to a gathering of good friends. When we focus on entertaining, or even hospitality, we often end up emphasizing the production rather than the people. How can you simplify by cultivating good conversations and relationships rather than complex party plans?
- That last point leads right into making space for hospitality. For us introverts, this may unearth anxieties about crowds and chaos during this season. But hospitality comes in many shapes and sizes. Valuing friendships over frenzy, you might make a point of meeting each week for coffee or tea with one person who is important to you. It might be the same person every week, or you might choose to meet with different people.
You might also want to facilitate a small gathering of friends, potluck the dinner and/or have a cookie exchange. Invite friends over for a game night, or how about a movable decoration party where you turn putting up those outdoor lights into a rotating group event? The point is to get people together in simple, fun ways that emphasize togetherness.
At the end of the week, turn those questions inside-out by asking yourself:
- How well did I live into my goals?
- What can I do differently this coming week?
- Who can I invite to join me on this journey?
That last question is critical for most of us: On our own we’re often not too successful at change. We need others around us. We need people to ask how we’re doing, what difficulties we’re facing as the holidays near, and to journey with us into a more Christ-focused season. Who might that be for you?
I hope you join us on this expedition through the jungle of holiday excess. Many perils may cross our path, but together we can reach our destination in peace and with sanity in-tact.
One more thing you might find that journaling will help you to better arrange your thoughts and review your progress. Journals don’t have to be written, they might be drawn, painted, or a scrapbook of reminders. If you do choose to write, think about different forms of writing that might release even more reflection – try a poem, a short story, or even a song.
This is part of our series “Preparing Our Hearts and Homes for Advent and Christmas”. We invite you to look ahead at the mini-theme for each week. If you’re interested in writing a post for us for one of these weeks, we’d love to share your thoughts! Please take a moment to review our “Join Our Writer’s Community” page to find out more, then drop us an email. We want Godspace to be your space.
Rip! Another calendar page bites the dust. November is upon us and the stores are already crammed with Christmas decorations. Even before Halloween we were bombarded with Christmas and Thanksgiving items ready to be snatched up by the all-too-easily-influenced consumer.
All this reminds me why we chose to focus November on preparing our hearts and homes for Advent and Christmas. We need to be proactive. It’s not just the temptation to be swept up by the marketing machine; the pace of our lives seem to keep time with the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Before we know it, it’s January first and we’re making resolutions to do better next Christmas.
Resistance Is Futile! (or is it?)
“Overcoming Consumerism” is our mini-theme this week. What can we do to resist the onslaught? First and foremost, we need to be intentional. Most often I think we acknowledge the craziness of the season, wish it were different, then plunge in without a plan. In her post “Seven Tips for a Stress Free Advent and Christmas”, Christine Sine gives excellent advice to carve out physical and emotional space conducive to keeping our center during this frenetic time of year.
You might also take our four November mini-themes as reflection points as you both begin and end the week. Here they are:
- Week 1: Overcoming Consumerism — Resisting the drive for more.
- Week 2: Resting in Chaos — How to create space for rest when the world is whipped up into a frenzy.
- Week 3: Keeping It Simple
- Week 4: Making Space for Hospitality — Ideas for gatherings of welcome and moments of connecting.
With this framework, you could begin your week asking:
- What are the temptations to overconsume this coming week? Why am I tempted by them? (Knowing what motivates us to overconsume is a deeply spiritual issue). How can I become more aware of my unhealthy motivations as I go about my week?
- What gives me peace? What can I do this week that will help me to rest and refocus? As Christine suggests, you might create a place of rest in or around your home. You might try setting an alarm on your phone to 9 am, 12 noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm – simple reminders to stop, pray, and rest for a moment in God. Perhaps you could change how you take lunch, turning that time into a sacred break in the middle of your day.
- In the week ahead, where am I tempted to make things complicated? For many, Advent and Christmas are times to go overboard on decorations, lavish treats and dinners, and packed schedules. Take time to reflect on what is most important. If helpful, reframe your gatherings from entertainment to a gathering of good friends. When we focus on entertaining, or even hospitality, we often end up emphasizing the production rather than the people. How can you simplify by cultivating good conversations and relationships rather than complex party plans?
- That last point leads right into making space for hospitality. For us introverts, this may unearth anxieties about crowds and chaos during this season. But hospitality comes in many shapes and sizes. Valuing friendships over frenzy, you might make a point of meeting each week for coffee or tea with one person who is important to you. It might be the same person every week, or you might choose to meet with different people.
You might also want to facilitate a small gathering of friends, potluck the dinner and/or have a cookie exchange. Invite friends over for a game night, or how about a movable decoration party where you turn putting up those outdoor lights into a rotating group event? The point is to get people together in simple, fun ways that emphasize togetherness.
At the end of the week, turn those questions inside-out by asking yourself:
- How well did I live into my goals?
- What can I do differently this coming week?
- Who can I invite to join me on this journey?
That last question is critical for most of us: On our own we’re often not too successful at change. We need others around us. We need people to ask how we’re doing, what difficulties we’re facing as the holidays near, and to journey with us into a more Christ-focused season. Who might that be for you?
I hope you join us on this expedition through the jungle of holiday excess. Many perils may cross our path, but together we can reach our destination in peace and with sanity in-tact.
One more thing you might find that journaling will help you to better arrange your thoughts and review your progress. Journals don’t have to be written, they might be drawn, painted, or a scrapbook of reminders. If you do choose to write, think about different forms of writing that might release even more reflection – try a poem, a short story, or even a song.
This is part of our series “Preparing Our Hearts and Homes for Advent and Christmas”. We invite you to look ahead at the mini-theme for each week. If you’re interested in writing a post for us for one of these weeks, we’d love to share your thoughts! Please take a moment to review our “Join Our Writer’s Community” page to find out more, then drop us an email. We want Godspace to be your space.
by Christine Sine —
We are moving into the busiest time of the year, and in a world that seems to grow faster and busier by the day perhaps like me you feel that is not good news for any of us. It seems the shops are full of Christmas decorations and toys earlier than ever and everything about the upcoming season is already demanding more of our time and energy.
When Christmas is over, I wonder how many of us will look back on the season with a sense of betrayal. There is no greater contrast between the world’s focus and the Christian meaning of the season.
What should be an opportunity to strengthen our faith and model our Christian values to the world has become instead the greatest display of materialism and consumerism imaginable. Even non Christians buy Christmas cards and hold celebrations.
How can we counteract these insidious forces? Dare I mention it – we all need to develop rituals that help us connect our everyday lives to our faith – particularly at this season. Those of you that know me well will recognize this as one of my passions. Unfortunately, as evangelicals, we shy away from the very mention of the word ritual because it conjures up images of legalistic practices from the past or of New Age or pagan rituals that we know have nothing to do with our faith.
Sadly, when our faith does not provide these rituals the secular culture quickly jumps in with its quasi spiritual offerings. Massage therapy, aromatherapy, a day at the local health spa and our increasingly secularized and materialistic approach to Christmas all tantalize us with the promise of peace and relief from our stressed out lives. Tragically people of faith are just as likely to be sucked in by these rhythms and ignore the rich traditions from their faith that should provide the rituals for their lives.
There is a growing recognition of our need for practices that flow from our values and enable us to develop a rhythm that helps us cope with the escalating stresses of life. Psychologist and life coach, Martha Beck, admits,
I know that ritual is an incredibly powerful psychological process…Modern Western culture has had most of the ritual stripped from it, leaving us less grounded and more alienated than many so-called primitive peoples. By putting ritual back into your life, you can help ease stress and enhance enjoyment, benefiting everything from your immune system to your parenting skills, to your creativity.[1]
She encourages us to make rituals simple and meaningful so that they won’t overwhelm us or add to our burdens. Simplicity also means we are more likely to stick to them.
My husband Tom and I are “Anglicans come lately”. We did not grow up in with a liturgical tradition, but in the last few years we have embraced the custom of the Advent wreath with great enthusiasm. Each morning during the Advent season we take a few minutes before breakfast to light the appropriate candles and read the scriptures for the day from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.
It is a wonderful way to center our lives on the real celebration – the coming of Emmanuel – God with us, God in us, God for us. We also like to enter into the celebration aspects of the season, however – not trying to out party the party-goers but rather to focus our joy and celebration on the true meaning of the season. Each year we hold an annual Advent party that highlights our anticipation of the return of Christ and the coming of God’s Kingdom in all its fullness when all things will be made new.
Before the Advent and Christmas seasons gets started you may like to take some time to really prepare. Develop some short rituals for you and your family to use throughout the year that enable you to enter into the joy of Christ’s birth and the wonder of God coming into our world to dwell among us without the overwhelming pressures of consumerism.
[1] Martha Beck, “Creating Special moments that enhance and enrich your life” Real
Simple April 2000, p192
This post was originally published in 2006.
by Lynne Baab
The small group Bible study gathered in the church library. As I sat down in a comfortable arm chair, I heard a woman ask the associate pastor a question about “The Church’s One Foundation,” a hymn we had sung the previous Sunday in worship.
She said, “There’s this weird part of the hymn that I don’t understand. What does it mean?” The woman read the words from the hymnbook, with “she” referring to the church: “Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.”
The associate minister gave a brief answer, saying that “those whose rest is won” means “people in heaven.”
I was in my late twenties and he was quite a bit older. I was just starting my seminary studies and he was an ordained minister. However, I was so sure I could have given a better answer than he did!
At that point, as a young adult, I had an abstract conception of our oneness with people in heaven, and it meant a lot to me. More than thirty years have passed since that day, and I have experienced losses of people dear to me. My two grandmothers were models of faith to me, and I’m so grateful I can imagine them in heaven. I’m so grateful I can feel an ongoing connection to them.
A very close friend died when we were both 41, and I know she is dancing in the presence of the God she loved her whole life. I think about her often, someone “whose rest is won,” even though it feels like she was really too young to need rest. She and I are still a part of the same body of Christ, even if I am still on earth and she is in heaven. We have “mystic sweet communion.”
On All Saints Day, November 1, we remember all the saints, not just the ones who have done something dramatic. We remember ordinary people who love and serve God, saints still living on earth or resting in God’s presence. I encourage you on this day to think about the people who have shaped your journey of faith, people you met in person, in the Bible, or in a book, people living today and people who lived in the recent or distant past. Pray some thankfulness prayers for them, and relish the fact that you have “mystic sweet communion” with them, wherever they are.
I think part of why I wanted to give a longer answer to that woman’s question so many years ago is that from childhood I was steeped in the hymn, “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God.” I knew it by heart, and more than anything else in my childhood, it inspired me to want to love and serve God. The author, Lesbia Lesley Scott (1898-1986), wrote hymns for her three children during the 1920s. She composed this one for All Saints Day, November 1.
- I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died
for the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green;
they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too.2. They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
and his love made them strong;
and they followed the right for Jesus’ sake
the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
and one was slain by a fierce wild beast;
and there’s not any reason, no, not the least,
why I shouldn’t be one too.3. They lived not only in ages past;
there are hundreds of thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints
who love to do Jesus’ will.
You can meet them in school, on the street, in the store,
in church, by the sea, in the house next door;
they are saints of God, whether rich or poor,
and I mean to be one too.
Thanks to all who wrote such inspiring words this month. Check out the articles below for great inspiration to Live into the Radical Shalom of God.
Traditionally a time of thin places and a softening of the veil between the living and the dead, Hallowe’en has changed into a festival of masks and mayhem. Only this year seems to have decided to bring the masks out early and with them, a great deal of fear.
During October, imitation killer clowns began appearing, even in tiny British suburbs. Those wanting to intimidate and control us, like miniature media moguls, were even on our street corners, brandishing knives and getting a kick out of terrifying us. These costumed fear mongers have been more prevalent in the USA of course, where Hallowe’en is celebrated in a big way, primarily with costumes and candy.
Christians have always tended to get our collective underwear in a bit of a twist about it, since at its worst it can seem like a glorification of all that is frightening and can lead people into a casual acquaintance with the occult. We are right to be wary, but we also need to keep our perspective balanced, knowing that this is not, nor was it ever, a celebration of evil. Every culture has some kind of day of the dead, and we ourselves recognise the communion of saints which contains both the living and those already in heaven which is celebrated on All Saints’ Day during the same “thin” time.
It is only recently that violence and fear have begun a heavy involvement. This year in particular, it feels like the masks that evil wears are cast to one side and that it is brazenly abroad. To have a presidential candidate able to speak hatred and sexism openly without losing a great deal of support, is a case in point. Donald Trump’s comments (past and present) about women are no political joke, but misogyny unafraid to remove any costume of pretended dignity it had previously worn. The hilarity of clowns no longer funny, and a blustering billionaire no longer only an absurdity. At the same time in Dakota, we witnessed those in uniform (the mask of the state) setting attack dogs and using tear gas on peaceful protestors, and saw sites sacred to indigenous peoples bulldozed and desecrated. The masks and the gloves, it seems, are off.
The ugly faces of predatory power, of patriarchy and capitalism have thrown off all pretence and shown themselves as nakedly aggressive. Why pretend to be civilised any longer, if on the one hand there is so much apathy that public opinion poses no threat, and if on the other the law has become so deeply ingrained in the values of the system that there is no way to lose? Add to this the massive support from the disenfranchised, baited and manipulated by the right wing press, and then greed and narcissism, the banks and the billionaires, can do whatever they damn well please.
At this time, we need to be reminded of a few truths. One is that evil only appears to show itself without masks when it is desperate. Often even the absence of masks is a cover up. For example, there appears to be a consensus on the internet that Mr. Trump is suffering from narcissism, and this makes him the king of the ultimate mask – self-confidence. Wearing the untruth of massive ego brings a false pride, which coupled with power and money, creates a façade of invulnerability for a person who possibly, deep down, believes themselves horribly unworthy. If the pundits are right, when the illusion falls apart, it will not be pretty. Perhaps with that in mind, we might pray for him and his angry supporters.
Another is that often, things that purport to be of God but are not, come in hissings and sidlings. All evil, whether subtle or blatant, tells lies about God’s character – especially his goodness and his reliability – and goes against Scripture. If we hold onto our certainty that the Living God is holy and wholly good, and know our Bible, we won’t fall for the falsehoods.
It’s true also that God does not wear masks. He sends messengers, signs and wonders, for sure, because his entirety is too awe-inspiring and magnificent for us to bear, and he speaks to us in a still, small voice. He chooses the lowly and the poor, and his presence brings a nerve-tingling soul-quake that is about supreme wonder and never despair or darkness.
Moses showed us that we can live nearly a century in knowing God, and still only be ready for a glimpse of the backside of his holiness. If we are spending a great deal of time with him, we may begin to shine, not with fake tan and whitened teeth, but with a radiance that inspires awe, as it did in those around Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai, his face aglow with God. No mask that, but a showing of God’s glorious intimacy, right there for all to see! God’s ways may sometimes be mysterious or secret, but only ever to protect us from the fullness of his majesty. Our God is always moving us towards truth, towards honesty, openness and vulnerability. He never speaks or asks us to speak falsehoods, and he is the enemy of giant egos everywhere.
And the last truth I want to mention is that evil never wins. Oh the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy in this world, we know that only too well! But every regime except God’s will end, and we are instructed to take heart that all is overcome, even as All Saints’ Day dawns into the darkness of Hallowe’en. Perfect love really does drive out fear, have no doubt.
Patriarchal systems have always lent themselves beautifully to the wearers of masks: for those who seek to manipulate by fear are given power and credence, and those who want to live with openness and vulnerability as their watchwords are shouted down and chased away, shamed and abused. Hallowe’en may be a time when veils are thin, but we must remember that the curtain which separated us from the Holy of Holies was torn in two by outrageous love over two thousand years ago, and the way to God is clear. We need no special day or time to draw near, no bulldozers to make the way, and no pretence of our own righteousness to proceed. The Kingdom of God, as Jesus was so fond of saying, is indeed close at hand.
Keren’s latest book, “Whale Song: Choosing Life with Jonah” will be out in November.
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