My Ongoing Existential Dilemma

On the way back from a lovely night away, Ben and I stopped at an icky outlet mall. We don't love shopping or anything, but we try to use sales and coupons to get some good deals for basics and wardrobe updates a couple times a year. We struggle with knowing where to shop to cause the least harm, and sites like Green America and Chain Store Reaction help us make some choices. (For example, Gap stores, which include Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic, have put significant effort into slavery issues. They are not perfect, but they are responding.)

Almost every time I shop at a typical retail store, I freak out a little bit. Sitting in the parking lot Saturday, with a bag of stuff in my lap, our engine idling with dozens of other vehicles trying to escape the shrine to commerce, I got a sick feeling. The whole process is in stark contrast with what I truly value. All of those people spending all of that time chasing stuff! It makes my stomach hurt. I get the angst. There is a part of me that enjoys the aesthetics of dressing in a way that reflects my style, and part of me finds it restorative to take care of myself in a way that keeps my temple shiny. But most of me couldn't care less!

This inevitably brought us to the Christmas conversation. We love, love, love the people on our gift list, but every last one of them has more than enough stuff! We have tried different approaches in the past: donations in people's honor, gifts that support causes, gifts of time and presence. How can we share Christmas in a way that both honors our loved ones and is consistent with our values of peace and justice?

I think we're going to try some new things this year. It takes some creativity to participate in American holiday culture without elevating stuff and busy-ness above the essence of the holidays. Advent is coming. This year, the Clarks are considering our own version of the Advent Conspiracy and Sojourner's Peace and Justice Christmas--not just a smidge, but full-on. Throughout Advent, I'll be blogging our thoughts, discoveries, experiments, and even failings at celebrating the essence of Christmas, and nothing more. I hope you will join us!