How then shall we live and dress?

My previous article on sweatshops got some interesting responses both in posted comments and conservations with others. To my surprise one female readers told me that as a result of the post she feels that she should give up underwear because she is unable to afford nor willing to pay $12 a pair for fair trade underwear; but that she is uneasy with the idea of going out into public without underwear. While my inclusion of Laura’s go commando for Jesus joke was intended cause people to remember the issue better, I am impressed that it has caused some to think about the issue enough to feel that taking it literally might be a first step in their Christian response to the issue. Just if you decide to go the commando route please be sure to watch what you wear without undergarments in order to remain modest and not accidentally flash others. However chances are you are among the majority of people who are not willing to give up wearing underwear in the name of fair trade practices even though it is technically not necessarily necessary. If you are like most Americans, chances are the vast majority, if not all of the clothing in your closet and dresser drawers was made in a sweatshop. Hopefully, this knowledge makes you at least a bit uneasy even if you do not see any practical alternatives given your budget and the shopping options in your area. Although what if there were some simple ways to make a difference, many of which would actually result in saving money instead of spending more? Then would you consider yourself more likely to consider taking action in the right direction? If so then read on as I’ve thought of a few ideas and if you have others please leave them below as comments.

First, avoid all or nothing mentality. While not going all hardcore for a cause, might make someone feel like a hypocrite at times it is important to remember that every little bit counts and makes a difference especially when others do the same. Consider how most Christians feel that daily Bible reading and prayer are important, yet pretty much everybody misses a few days here and there or even weeks at a time. Does this mean that any Christian who does not have a 100% daily Bible reading and prayer record is a hypocrite? No, and it does not mean that one should not do what they are able to do, even if it is less than they would ideally like to be doing. In a similar way keep in mind that while it is possible, just because it is not practical to go 100% fair trade does not mean that it is not possible for you to make a difference.

Second, use what you already have until it wears out. Simply because you have clothing that was sweatshop produced does not mean that it is wrong to wear it. Lets face it, even though human rights issues are important, they are other important social issues out there too like environmental issues. So just because something was made in a sweatshop does not mean that it needs to be destroyed or thrown out, which would be a wasteful thing to do given the natural resources and labor that went into creating it. So keep what you have to honor the labor of the sweatshop workers more than the owners did. As those workers probably in a way feel just like somebody who knits a sweater for somebody does not want it to be destroyed or thrown out before it wears out. The same goes to clothing that you have received as gifts that you are not able to return and gift cards, as the money has already been spend on supporting sweatshop labor so the product should at least be put to good use. The same goes for gift cards as the money has already been spent so even if it can only be redeemed for sweatshop goods it should be, lest its value go down as pure profit toward a cause of injustice. If you still feel a bit uneasy about it, use your clothing as a remainder to pray for the exploited workers who made the clothes that you are wearing instead of being wasteful in the name of justice.

Third, consider shopping at thrift shops. Thrift shops can be used as a creative halfway solution that both saves you money and does not support any company that uses sweatshop labor with your money in the process. While most of the more recently manufactured garments that you’ll find at thrift are most likely sweatshop made, as second generation owners there is a layer of separation between your wallet and the injustice which has taken place. If the idea of used clothing seems a bit strange to you keep in mind that a large number of that you can find at a sweatshop is in like new condition for a few dollars, a mere fraction of the original retail price. Also keep in mind that unlike retail stores, thrift shops do not have constantly shifting inventory so just because if they did not have what you were looking for does not mean that they still won’t in a week or two. A few weeks ago I checked out a local thrift shop to see what they had and within 5 minutes was able to find a few shirts that I could have very easily seen myself buying and wearing if needed more shirts. Also if you are concerned about what others might think if they know that you are wearing used clothing, don’t be as most likely they will not know unless you tell them or you run into somebody that you know at the thrift store in which case they would understand and not hold it against you because they are doing the same.

Fourth, view your wardrobe over the long haul. Even if you decide to strive toward a 100% sweatshop free wardrobe, keep in mind that it is a process. Most likely the clothes in your closet and dresser were bought over time and in smaller amounts so plan on doing the same as you strive to go sweatshop free. As before, you should not be wasteful in the name of fair trade so it might be best to set a goal of making a certain percentage of your incoming clothing as sweatshop free garments. Likewise given the increased cost of fair trade clothing as compared to sweatshop produced clothing it could take some time to be able to rework one’s budget in order to be able to do so.

Fifth, make due with less or without. Chances are if you are like most Americans you own a lot more clothes than you need and regularly wear only a relatively small subset of what you own. In theory most people could get rid of half of their clothes without making much of a sacrifice. So why not make a decision to stop buying unnecessary clothing by focusing primarily upon the creation of the small subset that you would actually wear on a regular basis. Sure this will most likely mean owning less clothes as time goes on but wouldn’t it be better to have a smaller number of well chosen and durable clothes that you love to wear than an entire closet full of average clothes and nothing to wear. Not to mention that the higher price of fair trade clothing, should one choose to go that route will also force most people to buy less overall. As to what is really necessary and what is not when it comes to clothing will depend upon the individual, their vocation and where they live. For example owning 5 pairs of jeans may not be necessary for somebody that wears formal clothing to work but may be just right for a general contractor who remodels bathrooms and kitchens for a living. Just like anything heavier than a sweatshirt may not be necessary for somebody who lives in Hawaii, while it is probably necessary for somebody in Alaska to own several heavy coats to layer on top of each other.

The Big Mouth Of Our Wallets

When it comes to getting across causes of justice people often believe that there are strength in numbers which is true but in to the extent that we would like to believe. But then again maybe that is just because we are focusing upon the playing field of democracy when in reality the game is to be won or lost upon the field of capitalism. Therefore despite how many people one can gather in a rally to protest a certain injustice it will most likely fall upon deaf ears lest the political politicians hear and decide to take up the case for themselves within the government. Yet while shouts of outraged crowds often fall upon deaf ears; crowds of silent wallets roar every time they open their mouth to make way for paper money and plastic credit cards to exit. Consider the grave social injustice of economic slavery which exists in the use of sweatshops in third world countries so that people in the civilized world can have cheaply produced goods for less than their fair trade market value. Sweatshops work by creating social conditions that force people into jobs which pay below the livable wages with long hours and poor and often dangerous working conditions. Or in the terms of Biblical language its a living example of the rich exploiting the poor for financial gain, which is strongly condemened in both the Old Testament and New Testament. When it comes to sweatshops I am no expert but when the issue came up in a seminary class I took in the fall somebody who was more knowledge mentioned that virtually all underwear in the US was manufactured under sweatshop conditions. Shortly after that came up in class I talked my friend Laura Blauch who keeps up with social issues a lot better than I do to find out her thoughts on the issue. To my surprise she responded by saying that she would sponsor a “Go Commando For Jesus” day, which I found hilarious at the time and actually turned out to be a unique idea according to Google. Which in a way got me thinking of how far should one be obligated to go when it comes to opposing the oppression of sweatshops in the garment industry. So in a way if we were to get serious enough to set a date for a “Go Commando For Jesus” day to protest the sweatshop practices of the undergarment industry and get the word out to other Christians we could make a difference right? Actually in a way I’d doubt how much of an effort it would really have, as I’m fairly sure that the sweatshop issue to some extent would get lost in people laughing about not wearing underwear. Not to mention that most likely virtually everyone who took part in the anti sweatshop “Go Commando For Jesus” day would to back to wearing sweatshop underwear the next day. Later on in a follow up talk with Laura about the running “Go Commando For Jesus” joke, when I brought up the issue of how in a way the concept could have much larger of an impact if we were to make it a week or a month instead of a mere day. Given that a month would draw more attention and show that that the supports are more committed to the cause than a mere day. Laura seemed surprised at my idea asked me if I really want to go a month without underwear. I don’t mean to criticize Laura for her lack of commitment in viewing giving up underwear for a month as being too much but it goes to show where the real voice that brings change will come from. Yet this is the tricky matter as to my knowledge there is not a reliably source of “fair trade” underwear out there and very few people are willing to give up wearing underwear in the name of fair trade practices. Yet the same principal holds true to some extent with most economic related social justice issues. As a fair trade alternative will only exist if the companies of the garment industry believe that enough people are willing to speak up with their wallets in saying that they are willing to pay more for clothing if it comes with an assurance that buying it will not support exploiting others in the process. At the same time if anybody is committed enough to raising awareness to the cause by coordinating a “Go Commando For Jesus” month, go ahead and more power to you. Just please post a commend below to tell everybody about it as I’m sure others would like to hear about it.

The Story of Stuff

In the past I’ve written at least one post about the problems of consumerism. If this is a topic that interests you, check out The Story of Stuff a short 20 minute online documentary which gives the complete story of the shocking life of consumer goods and the darker environmental and social economical side to consumerism which all too often gets brushed under the rug as no big deal.

My visit to a food bank

On January 19^th, I visited the food pantry run by CrossPoint United Methodist church, which assists around 13 local families, around 70 people, both inside and outside of their church. The food pantry is fully sponsored by the donations of the congregation, through a combination of donated nonperishable food items and a modest budget to buy discounted food in bulk as part of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank Member Agency. The food pantry works on self declaration of need, as it serves to supplemental support for anyone who claims to have a need. Which is in turn is picked out by the person in need through the assistance of one of the volunteers according to a guidelines sheet based upon family size.

I talked with Lora and Wendy, the two women from CrossPoint that oversee the food pantry outreach, both of whom were motivated through the Prophetic Scripture books but without directly realizing it. Wendy was motivated by what she called Jesus’ first sermon in Luke 4:14-21 which was centered around justice for the poor, believing that if is important to Jesus than its important to me. Lora was motivated by a Hymn in the Methodist Hymnal adapted from Micah 6:6-8, with command to do justice and love mercy standing out to her the most. Both Lora and Wendy were so caught up in seeking to help others that they struggled with answering my question of how God was blessing them through their work with the food pantry. Wendy told me about how her work with the food pantry was helping her to learn how we are all equal before God, which stands out to her as she connects with others and extends the love of Jesus to them. Lora felt most blessed by being able to take the time to listen to the stories of the people the food pantry reaches out to. An experience which she finds humbling as she learns both who they are and what gratitude is.

Overall I was very impressed with the CrossPoint food pantry, especially how it was considered just another ministry of a single parish church and not part of the wider denomination. I think the sense of local church ownership of the food pantry is a major strength of its ministry because it allows the congregation to actively minister to the real needs of the local poor in their neighborhoods. Another advantage of this hands on congregation approach, is that people tend to be more generous and motivated with their giving when they see exactly where it is going, and know that others are depending upon them. This direct social interaction with the needy causes the church to build outreach relationships with local churches in a way that presents them with a much fuller picture of the Gospel than a street preacher could ever give them. As was clearly the case when during my visit, one of the regular customers, ask one of the workers what time the church meet on Sundays. As to disadvantages, its really hard to criticize CrossPoint as I feel that a lot more churches need to be doing exactly what they are doing. But if I must be critical, I feel that their ministry might be a little more effective if they also had men visibly involved instead of just women, in order to give a more complete picture of the church.

A Judgement Oracle

This semester in seminary I’m taking a class called Hebrew Prophets on the Old Testament prophetic books. One of our assignments was to write a judgment oracle for today in English but in the style of Hebrew poetry around an issue that we feel strongly about. The assignment is not to be taken as Scripture writing but to better understand the Biblical role of prophets. As while the prophetic books include prophecies, they also express concern about the here and now in expressing strong disapproval of injustice, unrighteousness. Also the professor points out that God speaks through Scripture, therefore it is not a misrepresentation to speak out against things in God’s name which clearly go against what is written in the Scriptures. I wrote my oracle against the frequent neglect for social justice for the poor, a theme which comes up often in the Bible, yet is rarely preached upon today as often as it should be. Personally I view this work mainly as a tool to draw attention to the issue and not as a prophet of doom.

1 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
Snarling words of fury against His People

2 “Woe to you rich Christians who neglect justice,
You well-off who ignore the poor.

3 Because you have exploited the poor to live in luxury,
Surrounding yourselves with sweatshop goods.

4 You have gorged yourselves with rich foods,
But have allowed others to perish for lack of food.

5 You have guzzled gallons of fancy coffee lattes, sodas and wines,
But have neglected those in need of clean drinking water.

6 I despise your many prayers for riches,
But I am deprived of prayers on how to use wealth to bless others.

7 You were blessed to be a blessing upon others,
But selfishly you have hoarded the blessing unto yourselves.

8 Therefore, I will withdraw my blessing from you,
I will set my hand against you.

9 You have whored yourselves after consumerism and greed,
therefore, your pursuit of wealth will betray you.

10 You shall desire and shall not receive,
What you have shall not satisfy you any longer.

11 And in that day I will refuse to listen to you,
For you did not listen to the cries of the poor.

12 Therefore I will not relent,
Unless you repent!” declares Yahweh.