Ode to Goodwill

Go ahead and make fun of me. I will take a couple of days break before I post again about economics, wealth and poverty. Actually this subject may be more about the topic than the theoretical theological approach to capitalism.

Make fun if you want - but I love to shop at Goodwill. I went there yesterday to pick up a few things before I left for vacation this morning. As a matter of fact about 1/2 of my wardrobe has come from Goodwill over the last two years. Let me explain why I think I feel the way I do about Goodwill.

First, I committed a few years ago to not get caught up in the marketing of clothes. I will not pay $50 for a shirt or pair of pants if I am paying for market branding. I will not have to have the hottest brands, nor will my clothes have to be new. Consequently, I usually get by on less than $100 a year for clothes. (Some would say that they can tell how little I spend by the way that I look, but that is another subject...)

Second, Goodwill tries to support community initiatives that are good and useful. I can't vouch for all that they do (because I don't know where all the money goes), but by and large I think they try to do good with profits.

Third, (and I know this one will come off a little strange) but going into Goodwill is good for my pride. Everytime I go there I see families that are obviously shopping there because it is all they can afford. Not everybody of course, but you can tell that there is a clientele that needs the services of Goodwill. I watch folks when I go there - folks whose lives are different from mine - they are shopping there because they need to. And I want to see their faces. I want to share their joy when they find a shirt that fits their little precious third grader. I want to be reminded that I have so many choices, but many folks only have the choices they find at Goodwill.

Bottom line, for me the real reason that I shop at Goodwill is theological. I am committed to little ways of looking people in the face that are different than I am, but people nonetheless. I always want to remember God's powerful love for all people. Especially those folks that Wall Street acts as if they don't exist.