Wondering: ‘Is Shopping Sinful?’

Wait just one minute before you head out on a post-Lent shopping spree! (Because you might have given up spending money on luxuries for 40 days.) Author Michelle Gonzalez (Shopping: Christian Explorations of Daily Living) takes a closer look at what a Christian approach to shopping might be and considers the difficulties of truly embodying a Christian spirit to spending in a culture that fosters infinite desire. Share her article about her own journey toward balance and talk about consumerism and faith with young adults:

  • What are some examples you see in your own life — or around you — of the conflict of consumer culture with your faith?
  • What steps might you take to bring misguided desires (e.g., attachment to material things) into balance with your faith?
  • How might your young adult community keep one another accountable to shopping as a Christian act?