product obsolence

I have subscriptions to four magazines: Christianity Today, Christian Century, Christian Ethics and the Atlantic. The last one is the only secular magazine of the four. And my intentions are to subscribe to it until the Lord calls me up yonder. It is a fantastic magazine, transcending political or economic categorization. It just has thought provoking articles each month. In the interest of full disclosure, I pay full subscription and am not getting anything in return for this endorsement (though, if the mag wants to give me a discount rate--I'll surely take it).

There was an article in last month's issue that struck a chord. I've been playing this note in my head for a month. The author talks about 'planned obsolence.' This is the purposeful manufacturing of goods that will wear out after a given period of time. I recall a teacher in school (junior high or high school) who said that if they wanted to, GE could build a refrigerator to last 70 years; they don't because then consumers would buy only 1 per lifetime, rather than 12 or more. They make much better profit from selling 12 or more to a consumer over 70 years than just 1. The same goes for cars and other items. They are built to last, but only to last for so long.
This concept isn't new and is on the supply side of the economic equation.

The article author, Rob Walker, then writes about 'perceived obsolence.' This involves the consumer wanting the newest and latest item (in this case a smart phone) to replace a perfectly functional item of the same kind (in this case an older model of aforementioned smart phone). Walker's current smart phone works great and it's not very old; but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the newest one, which won't have all the do-dads of the one to come out in six months and so on. This is demand-side and consumer driven obsolence. It's phones, tvs, entertainment pieces, computers and the like.

I found all this fascinating. It also gave me pause to consider how obsolence impacts faith. Church shopping is part of 21st century American Christianity. Folks go to one church and when they encounter something newer or more interesting at another church, they hop on over there. Churches now compete with neighboring churches so as to keep their own flock and possibly expand. This is demand-side ecclesionomics (I just made that word up) too. It's also supply side as churches continually reinvent themselves and repackage, creating the perception of something new.

On the other hand, I am reminded that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. There is no obsolence with our Savior or our faith or our salvation. Christ doesn't wear out; he doesn't get old; there won't be a fancier savior to take His place. But, there is some obsolence in this dynamic; it comes in us--as Christ remakes us our old self wears out. We hunger and thirst for righteousness and become a new creature.

I'm also thankful that God doesn't view us or Creation as obsolete. There is certainly cause for that conclusion.