Black Friday-Golden Rule

I don't do Black Friday.  It's not a moral choice, but a practical one.  For a guy who isn't too crazy about shopping anyway, getting up at 4 am, standing in lines, dealing with crazy traffic, all to get a deal?  No thanks!  But I have to admit, I am tempted by some of the deals coming out Thursday evening this year.

For millions of Americans, Black Friday has become a staple.  And it is quickly becoming Black Thursday night as well.  People go crazy for a deal.  Things, whether to satisfy their own lust, or to lavish on others in exchange for love have become the centerpiece of the holiday season.  I will not go into how commercial idolatry is destroying Christmas, that will be a rant for another day.  But I am concerned about how commercial idolatry is ruining Thanksgiving, and ruining people all throughout the year.

Think about it for a minute.  For stores to open at 8 pm on Thanksgiving Day, how early do you think people have to be there, stocking shelves and preparing displays for the massive sales to begin?  It doesn't take a mathematician to  figure out that a number of people in retail are spending most of their Thanksgiving Holiday at work.  The trend is to open earlier and earlier.  In a few years, it will probably be a holiday tradition to go hit the stores in the early afternoon on Thanksgiving while your food settles. 

The thing that keeps coming to my mind is Matthew 7:12.  "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (NIV)  This simple teaching is so broad, so all consuming,  that I am often overwhelmed when I try and think of how to live it out.  I am so far from actually obeying this rule in every part of my life, that I just don't know where to start.  So let's start with shopping.  I am going to try and live out the golden rule in my holiday shopping this year.  Do you want to join me?  Here is what we are going to do.

Before we go out to get that awesome deal at 8pm on Thanksgiving, we ask ourselves;  "Would I want to have to work at a retail establishment on Thanksgiving?"  If the answer is "no" then we stay home.  When we go out on Friday (or any other day during the tumultuous holiday shopping season), and there is a long line and the cashier seems to be going too slow and we're frustrated because we are about to miss the deal at the next store, we ask ourselves, "If I were this cashier how would I want to be treated?"  Then we do whatever it is we were thinking.  Like the rest of us, cashiers like to be acknowledged as a human.  They like smiles and words of affirmation.  Although most are not allowed to accept gifts or tips, we can find ways to show our appreciation.

What about the other shoppers?  How might they want to be treated?  We could start by not acting annoyed at them when they are holding up a line.  Maybe if we see someone with a large load, we could offer to help them carry it.  We could take people's carts back for them in the parking lot, especially the elderly and people with small kids.  Maybe we could slow things down a bit too.  If we just give ourselves a little extra time when we go out, we won't be too rushed to offer courtesy and help to others.

This is a work in progress, not an exhaustive list. What other ways can we live out the Golden Rule during the holiday season?