What Shopping Cart Theory Says About Society

Shopping Cart Theory gained viral attention a few years ago. Unlike the majority of people, I found it disturbing. It goes something like this:

The shopping cart is the ultimate litmus test for whether a person is capable of self-governing, the post states. To return the shopping cart is an easy, convenient task and one which we all recognize as the correct, appropriate thing to do. To return the shopping cart is objectively right. There are no situations other than dire emergencies in which a person is not able to return their cart. Simultaneously, it is not illegal to abandon your shopping cart. Therefore the shopping cart presents itself as the apex example of whether a person will do what is right without being forced to do it.

No one will punish you for not returning the shopping cart, no one will fine you, or kill you for not returning the shopping cart, you gain nothing by returning the shopping cart. You must return the shopping cart out of the goodness of your own heart. You must return the shopping cart because it is the right thing to do. Because it is correct. A person who is unable to do this is no better than an animal, an absolute savage who can only be made to do what is right by threatening them with a law and the force that stands behind it.

The Shopping Cart is what determines whether a person is a good or bad member of society.”

Shopping Cart Theory suggests the ultimate way to test moral goodness is to see whether or not someone will do the “right” thing in the absence of accountability, consequence, or reward.

The Fallacy of Societal Expectations:

The central flaw of the Shopping Cart Theory lies in its assumption that moral good is primarily defined by societal expectations. While it is true that many people follow societal norms, this does not guarantee or reveal genuine moral character. Simply adhering to what society says one "ought" to do does not reflect a deep sense of personal ethics but rather a conformity that allows proponents of the theory to prematurely pat themselves on the back.

A More Effective Litmus Test:

When conditions are good for doing the bad thing - can you refrain from doing the bad thing? Can you persevere in righteousness?

What about the inverse?

If conditions were bad for doing the good thing - can you do the good thing anyway? In other words, if you’d get punished for doing what was moral, could you take action?

Returning a shopping cart is only revealing that people are generally willing to do what society expects of them. This is not a moral litmus test that proves self-governance but instead generally shows the opposite - that we’re partly defined and motivated by the community and values that we identify ourselves as being a part of. In some ways, it’s the path of least resistance (granted, you’ve got to expend some calories to return the shopping cart but for many, it’s easier to do that than to buck accepted norms).

Historical Contexts Shed Light

Historically speaking, it’s easy to look back on situations where everyday people have fallen disastrously short of this test.

Think of a time when conditions were good for doing bad. Consider the sheer number of people that participated in or turned a blind eye to legal forms of slavery. We, now, in a culture that decries and denounces the idea are quick to say we’re against such things. But what if you lived in a society where it was accepted?

Look no further than pornography, prostitution, and other forms of entertainment to see modern-day forms of sex trafficking and profiting off of treating people as commodities that are “acceptable” and “legal.” What stance do you take against an evil that is generally accepted by the society around you?

Similarly, many people who have taken part in rioting/looting have done so simply because the conditions were right for doing what was wrong.

True moral character goes beyond following prevailing norms; it requires a steadfast commitment to opposing evil, even when it is widely accepted.

Think of a time when conditions were bad for doing good. In Nazi Germany for example you’d put yourself and your family in danger for helping innocent Jewish neighbors and friends. Alternatively, you’d be rewarded for turning a blind eye to the atrocities around you. What did the average citizen do? They did what most do - they chose the path of least resistance and tried to stay out of trouble. When conditions were bad for doing good, they laid low.

Shopping Cart Theory actually perpetuates this standard of morality. It encourages people to think that the “right” thing to do is simply what you’re expected to do.

Anyone can return a shopping cart (and I’d wager that most everyone does). When society decides that this is the litmus test for morality, all we’ve done is shown how ethically illiterate we’ve really become. When such a test goes “viral” we’ve proven that we have no sense of the importance of an objective standard of morality that transcends culture and that we’ve no concern for the backbone it takes to live according to our values. Shopping Cart Theory is just a free pass to feel superior regardless of how you live when it actually counts.

5 Simple Ways to Make Christmas More Meaningful This Year

1.       Read the Christmas Story Before You Unwrap Presents

My wife brought this tradition into our home, it was something she had done with her mom growing up. It’s such a simple way to remind ourselves of what Christmas is really about. Suggestion: Don’t read from a kids story bible but instead, read straight from the Bible, Luke Chapter 1 to Chapter 2, verse 20.

2.       Join a Christmas Eve Service at Your Local Church

I loved going to Christmas Eve services with my family growing up. They say that kids will reflect the faith that they see in their parents. See is the key word. If you read your Bible and pray in private, they won’t know that that’s an important part of your faith (because they’re not seeing it). In the same way, when our family sees us going to church during special services and Sunday morning, they learn that part of our faith means rearranging our schedule in order to gather and worship with the people of God.

This year, our church (April Sound Church) is having two services on Christmas Eve. We’d love to be one of the ways that you make your Christmas extra meaningful this year.

3.       Find an Opportunity to Serve

Sometimes all of the commercialism surrounding Christmas can have us overly focused on material goods and we can even start wishing we had more: more for ourselves, more money to buy more gifts for others, more Christmas decor and lights, more, more, more. But Jesus tells his disciples that they are to serve, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” When we serve, it recalibrates our heart to care for others more than ourselves and it brings to mind an awareness of what our neighbors need and what we already to have.

This year our church is serving the homeless and underresourced people of Conroe, TX a Christmas breakfast at Lewis Park. I can’t think of a better way to make Christmas more meaningful.

4.       Review the Nativity Scene

Do you have a nativity scene somewhere in your house? Take time to go over the Christmas story by reviewing the characters. This past Sunday, someone stopped in our lobby to look at each character in the scene and as they did, they asked who each person was. It struck me as a very simple way to share the Christmas story with our family and even ourselves.

5.       Brainstorm Christmas Symbols

The evergreen wreath is a symbol of life (green) and eternity (circle). Similarly, the Christmas tree that you’ll gather around as you unwrap presents is filled with symbols:

• Lights for the light of Jesus,

• Evergreen for eternal life,

• Ornaments that often symbolize the good gifts and memories God has given us,

• Candy canes that are meant to remind us of the Great Shepherd (shepherd’s staff shape) who gave his blood (red stripe) that we could be forgiven and made pure (white stripe).

• Pro tip: turn the candy cane upside down and it’s a “J” for Jesus.

What does your family do to make Christmas more meaningful? Got some great ideas to share? Comment below, I’d love to hear them!

Win Hearts, Not Arguments

Win Hearts, Not Arguments

A Christlike approach to engaging with culture.

There’s no doubt that Jesus knew how to “throw down.” In fact, Jesus called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” and “children of the devil.” Remember when Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove the moneychangers and animals out of the temple? In truth, Jesus wasn’t a stranger to conflict.

That’s not the whole story though. In fact, there’s three things to keep in mind here:

1. Jesus was usually harsh when he was dealing with false teachers and those in authority who were within his own “tribe.”

2. Jesus’ teachings and desire for us couldn’t be more clear: to love our enemies, to turn the other cheek, to follow his model of service and sacrifice.

3. We’re called to work towards shalom, bringing peace and reconciliation.

Consider for a moment the time that Jesus got into a debate with a Canaanite woman (and called her a dog) in Matthew 15:21-28.

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

Here we have a woman who is identified as a Canaanite (a historic enemy of Israel) and yet she shows some knowledge of Hebrew theology - referring to Jesus as “Son of David.” Yet Jesus seems to ignore her and his disciples obviously consider her to be a nuisance.

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

Jesus says, “no” and heartbreakingly there’s nothing she can do about it. It’s not because she doesn’t have enough money or because she belongs to the wrong political party - she has the wrong ethnicity.

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

The woman persists.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

Jesus gives a harsh response and doubles down on his initial reply. Some would defend Jesus’ use of the word “dogs” here to try and make this sound less harsh but the truth is, calling someone a dog was an insult back then just as much as it is now. In fact, we see it being used as an insult several times throughout scripture. To be sure, Jesus’ intent is to create a metaphor and he’s not intending to insult but it would still sting - especially given the circumstances.

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

I love this turn of events. The woman disagrees with Jesus and leans into the debate. Jesus is this well known rabbi who has a reputation for swiftly and adeptly refuting religious leaders and critics. Here, a Canaanite woman dares to debate with Jesus. It’s a scandalous moment and if we were there, we’d probably see the disciple’s jaws on the floor or their faces full of outrage.

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Was Jesus wrong? No. Was Jesus trying to win an argument? No. What happens here?

Jesus heals this woman’s daughter but He does more than that - He elevates the dignity of Gentile women by allowing his disciples to witness her great faith and her ability to go toe to toe with their Lord.

Jesus wasn’t interested in winning the argument. He was interested in winning the heart. In fact, He’s even willing to appear to lose an argument, to hurt his reputation, in order to work towards a greater purpose.

A simple reminder for us today to think “How can I win this person’s heart?” rather than, “How can I win this argument?”

Beyond Live Streaming and Isolation - The Call for Laypeople in the Age of COVID-19.

Beyond Live Streaming and Isolation

The Call for Laypeople in the Age of Covid-19

I don’t know about you but my corner of the internet is abuzz with talking about the importance of live streaming, prerecording video services, and capitalizing on social media.

Getting on board with Social Distancing

As Christians we have not just a worldview that says that death is not the end for us but we also have a legacy and heritage of caring for people in the midst of deadly and contagious diseases. In addition, we’re familiar with scriptural commands like “Let us not neglect meeting together as some are in the habit of doing.” These ideas may tempt up to throw caution to the wind.

The truth is, social distancing is one way that we can do our part to help ensure that necessary healthcare is available to the vulnerable – even if it means sacrificing the theologically good and important notion of the physical gathering. We can care and serve our neighbors by limiting our gatherings and being thoughtful when we do get together.

As a small groups pastor, I’m well aware of the many scripture passages that encourage and challenge us to meet together regularly and pursue Christian Community. Yet there are others like Deuteronomy 22:8 that set a precedent for precaution when it comes to how our lives might affect our neighbors:

“When you build a new house, you must build a railing around the edge of its flat roof. That way you will not be considered guilty of murder if someone falls from the roof.

Some even explicitly support the quarantining of those who might have infectious diseases by keeping them away from the camp. Like Leviticus 13:46

As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp.

And 1 Corinthians 10:24 puts it simply:

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 

Beyond Isolation and Screen Time

Those that recognize that Jesus came in the flesh (rather than in the appearance of flesh) and that we are embodied souls (rather than primarily spiritual beings) should appropriately grieve over the loss of our physical weekly large group gathering.

As church leaders seek to help the church thrive during this time they are often tempted to be the answer. How do we offer the best live streaming service in town? How do we keep people engaged and connected? What valuable programming can we offer now? 

A Better Opportunity

In the beginning of Acts chapter 8, a “great persecution” breaks out against the Church in Jerusalem and all except the Apostles are scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Preconversion Paul “began to destroy the church. Going from house to house” and dragging off men and women and putting them in prison. Can you imagine how the apostles must’ve been feeling? What’s the proper response? How do we shepherd people when we can’t bring them together? How do we equip and empower and disciple and spiritually nourish these young believers? Live streaming certainly wasn’t an option!

But something different happened.

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” (Acts 8:4).

Before Jesus ascended, he told His followers that the Holy Spirit would come and “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Up until this point, the church hadn’t left the safety of Jerusalem. It was the persecution that propelled them to be faithful to Christ’s plan. At the same time, it wasn’t a movement of church leadership but rather a movement of lay people. By the end of Acts 9, Luke writes about “The Church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria” (such a phrase hadn’t existed until that time) and we’re told that the Church “enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.”

What if we shift our focus from how we’re going to keep our churches together – to how we’re going to support each other when we’re apart?

Incarnational Ministry and Small Groups

Small groups and house churches were the bread and butter of the early church.

• Early on the book of Acts believers are meeting together in homes as they read the teachings of the apostles, fellowship, and worship together.

• When Paul starts new missionary endeavors he often finds a house to stay in and uses that house (Like Jason in Acts 17 or Aquila and Priscilla or Titius in Acts 18) to gather believers and converts to.

• When new families convert – ones with larger homes (Like Lydia in Acts 16) would often begin to gather the church in the area together for prayer and scripture reading.

• The word “Christian” itself was first attributed to a house church in Antioch.

The phrase “incarnational” means roughly, “in the flesh” and recognizes that the reason Jesus came “in the flesh” is because our physical nature is at the core of who we are and so the most effective forms of ministry are generally those which acknowledge the value of face to face relationships. In other words, most of the serious life change that we experience as Christians comes from our relationships with others (not books, not watching videos, not consuming one-way content, not blogs, not conferences, but relationships).

I’m not saying that we break bread “from house to house” like we see in Acts 2:46. As we move into the weeks and months ahead where gatherings of even 10 or more are potentially hazardous for our neighbors and cities – we must do two things:

1. Be diligent in our precautionary measures for the sake of our neighbors.  

2. Recognize the value and significance that Christians have as they remain scattered throughout our neighborhoods.

How do we do this?

It will no doubt look different for each of us. Wash hands. Practice social distancing. Cough into your elbow. Don’t touch your face. Stay home if you’re sick or have preexisting conditions that place you in the “vulnerable” category. Do that but also find creative ways to meet online (my small group uses Zoom to meet at 9:30PM once our kids are asleep). Consider inviting people to your home to watch the Live Stream on Sunday morning. Get together in even smaller groups for fellowship, and find ways to serve your community as we navigate a new (albeit temporary) era for the American Church. And one more thing…

Lastly, We Need Hope

Our society is fearful right now. Those who have wealth are finding that it doesn’t bring much comfort. Others are incredibly concerned about losing their jobs (if they haven’t already lost them). Sports and large events that entertain and distract us are no longer an option. We’re not used to empty shelves and such a lack of available resources. And death is on all our minds. In other words, we’ve caught a glimpse of how fragile and precious life is.

Solomon thought such circumstances brought wisdom:

Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies--so the living should take this to heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

At a time like this – our neighbors are thinking of both immediate and eternal things. Our thoughts are on survival but also on meaning and purpose. May 1 Peter 3:15 be the rally cry of the “scattered” church during this time.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

Remember, some of our best ministry has taken place during times when larger gatherings weren’t possible. How is God calling you to serve and care for others during this time?

Stop Inspiring Serial Killers

Stop Inspiring Serial Killers

For some reason it’s become popular in our culture today to post “inspiring” sayings that ultimately aren’t very helpful and might even be harmful.

Let me show you what I’m talking about.

Here’s my suggestion.

Before you post a trite saying like the “proverbs” above - ask yourself: “Would this inspire a serial killer?”

Of course, there are more ways to test inspirational quotes. Here are a other few options.

Is it true?

If you want something, does the whole universe really conspire to help you to get it? Hillary wanted to be president in 2008 and 2016 but the universe failed her.

Will things really become easy just because I think they’ll be easy? Or does it make more sense for me to give a realistic expectation for what it will take to achieve something? Can I go from being a couch potato to a marathon runner simply by assuming that it will be easy?

Are the only limits we have the ones that we believe? Or is it possible that I’m truly limited by age, finances, intellect, my physical body, geography, and much more? I’m not gonna let my five year old drive a car - even if he believes he can. Furthermore, try to get preapproved for a million dollar mortgage with no money in the bank and only working minimum wage jobs.

Does it encourage vice?

In other words, does it justify bad behavior? “Do it now sometimes ‘later’ becomes ‘never’” is a true statement. It passes the last option. Yet at the same time it encourages impulsiveness and because it’s aimed at a very large audience (like an instagram following) you can’t be sure exactly what behavior you’re encouraging. Its like target shooting with a blindfold on after spinning around in one place while inebriated. “Rob a bank now because sometimes ‘later’ becomes ‘never’” isn’t great advice.

Does it make me the standard?

In other words, does it make me the judge of what’s right and wrong? “As long as you’re happy with yourself - no one else’s opinion matters.” What about your kids? Your spouse? Your community? Your accountability partner? Your mentor? Doesn’t this idea seem a teensy bit egocentric? Do we really want to encourage people to be egotistical self-centered monsters? The truth is, you’re not the center of the universe nor are you perfectly qualified to be the standard of morality.

Let’s shortcut the process though:

Does this inspire serial killers?

Listen. Sure. There are some factual and wise sayings that might inspire serial killers and that doesn’t mean they’re wrong but next time you post something let this idea give you pause - long enough to consider whether what you’re saying is the worth adding to the clutter.

Why You Should Indoctrinate Your Kids

Why You Should Indoctrinate Your Kids

A Christian recently told me that they weren’t going to teach their child what to believe about God because they didn’t want to indoctrinate their child and tell them what to think or believe.

It sounds noble on the surface, doesn’t it?

At the very least it causes us to really think about where we stand on the issue and why we’ve chosen that stance.

Critical thought is critical for our faith.

Now, indoctrination these days usually means to get someone to hold a set of beliefs uncritically. It can (and in the title of this post does) mean simply to instruct. Hopefully as a Christian parent - you want your child to think critically. After all, scripture calls us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The Early Christians were uniquely aware of their need to understand their faith. Earlier followers of Christ held to a worldview that was wholly different from the predominate cultures that they were immersed in and so each follower of Jesus intimately understood what it meant to:

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”
(1 Peter 3:15)

Augustine once said

“No one believes anything unless one first thought it believable…. Everything that is believed is believed after being preceded by thought…. Not everyone who thinks believes, since many think in order not to believe; but everyone who believes thinks, thinks in believing and believes in thinking.”

And Origen

“It is far better, to accept teachings with reason and wisdom than with mere faith.’’

Justin Martyr continued to wear his philosopher’s robes and considered it his duty to contend with Roman philosophers of his day in order to proclaim the truth of Christianity.

We want our children to think critically about their faith but we also want to teach them what to believe.

Why teach your kids what to believe?

At first it sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? You might argue that it’s best to teach kids how to think and then let them decide for themselves what they ought to believe. I say - do both. Here’s the thing. It’s your job as a parent to pass on to your children what you’ve learned and how you best understand this world that we live in. Let me share with you why I think that’s the right thing to do.

The World Is Round.

Consider how absurd it would be for a moment for you to teach your child that you think the Earth is round but some people disagree with you and each viewpoint is equally valid. I know that’s not exactly the same thing as faith because the roundness of the Earth can be proven through science and observation but faith can’t (bear with me though because I want to address that later).

Consider too that nearly every people group on this planet has worshiped (even remote people groups that were isolated from outside contact). The vast majority of humans throughout history have had a spiritual or supernatural aspect to their worldview. Not only this but guess what the majority consensus of these worshipers are? It’s that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This worldview has pervaded for nearly two thousand years and throughout vastly different cultures. In other words, it’s a truth that transcends space and time and culture.

The Christian Faith is History, Not Science.

We mentioned before that the roundness of Earth can be proven but the idea of Jesus as God is less scientifically verifiable. This is because Christianity is less like math and more like History. History can be reenacted but it can’t be duplicated. This idea comes from Augustine who says that History is passed on to us through trusted authorities and that it’s this trust in authority that allows society to operate and thrive. He invites his readers to consider what it would be like if everyone operated as if they couldn’t trust their mother’s authority on who their father was. After all, in Augustine’s time, there was no scientific way to verify your Father - you had to trust an authority (your mother) and to this day the vast majority of humans choose to trust their mother’s authority when it comes to how they relate to their dad.

Why say all of that? To point out the obvious - we don’t only pass on information that’s empirically verifiable and that’s perfectly reasonable and even helpful for the thriving of society.

If You Don’t, The World Will.

Here’s the truth. Your child will go to preschool and they’ll be taught to believe in a purely material world. They’ll watch TV and they’ll be discipled in the way of American consumerism. They’ll listen to their favorite celebrities and pop culture icons and they’ll be taught that pursuing their own happiness is the path to fulfillment. The vast majority of Americans would readily disagree with these three notions so why would we hesitate to pass on the wisdom and truth that we’ve gained through devotion, experience, reason, and authority?

Yes, teach your kids what you know about God.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)