The headline of Sunday’s Los Angeles Times business section declared, “Being frugal is back in fashion.” It seems that as a consequence of the Great Recession, an increasing number of Americans are beginning to reject the hyper-consumerist and crapulent tendencies of the past few decades. The national savings rate is up, apparel spending is down, and personal debt remains on a month-to-month decline. As one article respondent put it, “Solvent is sexy!”
This message seems to be catching on among certain Christian faith communities as well. Not necessarily the sexiness of solvency, but at least the sinfulness of overspending, particularly during the holiday season.
Known as the Advent Conspiracy movement, hundreds of congregations have signed up to preach a message of economic sobriety and a rejection of the crass commercialization of the Christmas season. But unlike the bromidic and buzz-killing messages of Christian conservatism—i.e. “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” or “Christmas trees are for pagans!”—this largely viral based movement appear to be offering positive alternatives to the extremes of excessive spending or December seclusion. Spend your time and money assisting others!
Over the past few years participating congregations have donated millions of dollars to provide clean water in developing countries. Similarly, other congregations have donated time and resources to local charities within their local community. When one considers the alarming rates of un- and underemployment, home foreclosures, abysmal credit scores and consumer debt, this sort of message from Christian pulpits is long overdue.
And like the overarching message of a certain Jew from Galilee, this message is a necessary countercultural corrective to both the prosperity proclivities of the Christian Church and indulgences of the larger society. For what does it profit a child to gain an X-Box and a Plasma TV in December only lose their parents to the stress and strain of a debt hangover in January?
