Consumers

We’re all consumers.At the grocery store.At the movies.At the gas pump.On the internet.At church.You probably nodded along with the first three. “Sure, I buy groceries, an occasional movie ticket, and fill up my car.”The last two probably sparked a little resistance. Maybe even some unease.The internet: “Maybe if I’m on Amazon, but mostly I’m just reading.”Church: “That’s weird; I don’t consume there…okay maybe a doughnut or two.”You aren’t always buying stuff on the internet, but you are always buying into something, consuming information and images and news and others’ status updates.You may only think you are consuming doughnuts at church, but you’re consuming a whole lot more: theology, stories, ideas and suggestions about the world (this one or the one emerging).The question is not whether your are a consumer or not; the question to ask is, “What kind of consumer do I want to be?” And that question always has two more fundamental questions quietly tucked within its folds:

1. 1. "What kind of person do I want to become?" (We are what we “eat”.)
   2. "What type of world do I want to live in?" (Consuming is a creative act. More on this later.)

You, dear friends, are in control of both answers.