After our class discussions, reading a chapter from Jon Pahl's Shopping Malls and Other Sacred Places: Putting God in Place, and watching The Persuaders I caught a vision of the mall that I never had before. As I walked in, I saw scripture in every window telling the congregation what it meant to live faithful lives of consumerism. American Express: "always inspires, never expires." ALDO: "get lucky!" Bath and Body Works: "Escape to the tropics." Gap: "For life as you live it." Bakers: "If it fits, buy it." CHICOS: "Life's too short to blend in." I saw infants baptized into strollers. I saw the fountain as an offering plate. I saw consumerists worshiping their God, testifying with bags of new stuff.
As I approached the center of the mall, the ceiling rose and space opened. I had made it to the alter. A line of roughly 15 people had formed, all waiting to take communion at Starbucks. It was there that they broke twenties and drank of their lattes. Seated around them were Apple sales associates evangelizing to potential customers as they demonstrated their newest product. On the other side of the coffeeshop was the pastor's office (security). The men behind the desk have all the answers for sheep led astray and some of them even patrol the sanctuary, keeping watch over their flock.
I never expected this activity to be so enlightening, terrifying, or convincing. While the Woodland Mall isn't as overtly religious as a contemporary church, it does seem to share an eerie resemblance with various types of religious communities.
I like your analogy of the ads being the scripture in which the mall tells consumers the way of consumption. It is a bit scary how close malls can come to being that of a religious sect.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your observations, Kyle. I especially like the connections you draw re: communion, the pastor's office, evangelism...
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