No, Black Friday isn’t like the flood story of Noah! But I bet you could find some evils-of-humanity parallels.
Apart from taking my mother-in-law to buy Pjs for her grandkids, around noon by the way, I stopped Black Friday shopping. One year, in the fabricated panic of the early morning, the moment I saw a kid take something out of someone else’s basket was when I knew I had enough.
And I don’t mean to make anyone feel bad about shopping. I only bring it up because it helped me relate to our reading today.
Why did God bring the flood in the days of Noah? Was God angry? Did the people outrage the Lord? Well, we don’t have to guess. The answer is in the text.
God grieved.
“And the Lord was sorry that he had made humans on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Genesis 9:6). God grieved what humanity had become.
Creation was good until the fifth day. On the sixth day, humanity came and helped make it very good. But something changed. The people did not realize what their actions would make of their lives. It would not be the very good God intended. So, God grieved and changed course.
Again, you can find some good deals right now. If you need them, go ahead. For me, Black Friday was a chance to put my money where my mouth was, or not, so to speak. If it all bothered me so much and I thought it was so bad, then don’t participate, John!
It’s that easy. I don’t even have to get on social media and decry the whole after-Thanksgiving experience. Just don’t go.
Now, to be sure, I still struggle with this in other areas of my life. Violence and greed are sickening parts of life. But I can’t tell you how many next episodes I have watched! Every click tells the world I’m okay with these things as long as it’s entertaining.
Are we grieved by the brokenness of the world around us? Then what change of heart is there to show it?
Stay blessed…john
