Shop-Less Thanksgiving

Well, here we go again.  It’s the week of Halloween and it’s no longer “breaking news” that the Christmas fever was ALREADY at the Kohl’s near my house—a month ago!  [Christmas “c-rap” was already on the clearance table.] 

But over the past few weeks my Facebook feed has lit up with this overwhelming holiday cheer-less-ness over Thanksgiving Day shopping.  Lots of people are against it.  Some, so much so, to the extent that they believe stores MUST be closed as an act of preserving the integrity of the American family.  As if not shopping on Thanksgiving Day would save every family! 

Friends and colleagues are cheering stores who are announcing they will be “closed” for Thanksgiving Day and denouncing others who are advertising their intention to be “open” on Thanksgiving Day.  In both cases, a sure and certain Public Relations move rather than revealing any intention to somehow “preserve the American family.” 

Let me just say up front that I LOVE Thanksgiving; it is my favorite holiday.  I would LOVE for no one to have to work on Thanksgiving—but that’s just not possible.  In all honesty, I don’t blame the stores.  That I will likely NOT be working on Thanksgiving, that I will likely have the chance to enjoy the day with my family, is a sign of my extreme privilege.  It certainly isn’t a right guaranteed by God or any human-made institution or government. 

Actually, were I most faithful to my calling, I’d be lined up to advocate for Churches to have worship services on Thanksgiving Day so that we could truly be thankful and worshipful and thus, I’d actually have a lot more people working on Thanksgiving.  So, maybe I need to be added to the list of boycotts!  Me, God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost! 

 

I believe in family; but it's not about this shopping bit!  

We all know the truth of the matter is that stores closing on Thanksgiving Day will not “preserve the American Family.”  In some cases, it’ll likely lead to family demise—for with nothing else to do but overeat and watch the NFL, some families will never recover!  For some families, simply being together for a day isn’t a blessing, it’s armed conflict.  Stores being OPEN on Thanksgiving Day won’t save them, either. 

I’m conflicted!  For while we so passionately advocate for those who are asked to work on Thanksgiving Day to be “off,” for some, it’s a day of badly needed overtime pay that goes far in supporting their family. 

While we so passionately advocate for those who must work on Thanksgiving Day to be “off,” we are grateful for the Firefighters, Police Officers, Nurses and Doctors, and others who will save lives and keep people safe. 

Having everyone off?  That’s just a plain kind of irresponsible.  Gas stations, convenience stores, and toll booths are all necessary things when people are traveling to Grandma’s house or even my house.  Someone always has to work, despite a holiday—not only doctors and nurses, firefighters and police officers, but NFL players and coaches, TV broadcasters and camera crews, the stadiums at least must be full of employees—hard-working employees most necessary for the holiday to achieve its intended celebratory fervor FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE OFF FROM WORK!  After all, what’s a turkey sandwich without a football game! 

So here’s what I think.  I think this whole “keep the stores closed” is really a part of our PRIVILEGE—to which we really shouldn’t be entitled. 

More than boycotting stores or trying to publicly shame them, what if we worked to be better advocates for some things that really do matter.  For stores to pay honest, living wages—all the time (not just for special holidays).  For stores to treat employees with dignity and respect.  To advocate for fair ways of giving time off around the holiday seasons, so that not just the lowest have to work, but that it is and becomes a shared venture.  If stores are open, make sure the highest offices have a share in the holiday working. 

How about advocating for care and concern for those who do have to work.  So that we can say “thank you” and be more grateful for those who are working to provide needed services like first responders and healthcare workers—AND those who are working to serve our lunch-table or make our NFL gameday experience a better one. 

Let’s advocate for wage increases and double-pay on holidays. 

And lets go back to LEADING THE WAY on holidays as people of faith.  Praying together.  Worshipping together.  Supporting our communities from top to bottom—together. 

But frankly, dear friends, we so easily forget our privilege, our own selfishness.  By our willfulness to close stores, we simply deny so many others an opportunity they might willingly choose in order to get ahead—or worse, just eek by.  Holiday pay can be more substantial.  Many people will willingly trade a day off, for a day of extra pay—especially those who are poorest among us.  Who are we to insist that they cannot take advantage of this opportunity?  Who are we to insist that those who wish to work, may; while those who wish not to work wouldn’t have to? 

That stores are open on Thanksgiving simply isn’t the problem. 

No one forces us to shop. 

And not shopping will not restore some kind of restoration of the values of yesteryear. 

But, the values we use to evaluate how stores are behaving, our desire for all people to celebrate a holiday together, our yearning for a new and different world, no doubt point us to the Kingdom of God where no one works for pay and everyone is served.  This isn’t a dream world for some other time.  It’s the call and claim of the Kingdom for now.  Jesus would have us get out there and change the world—not just complain about it.