Gadgets for God

The folks at Ship of Fools keep a set of pages compiled on the Christian junk available hither and yon. Called Gadgets for God, the pages reveal our tendency, when faced with honoring the divine, to make trinkets.

You'll find Wash Away Your Sins Soap, which will "Make 'cleanliness is next to godliness' a reality: only $8.00 for seven ounces of creamy righteousness from the oldest soap makers in New England."

There is also The Bobble Head Mary "The BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary) meets the BHM (Bobble Head Mary) in one of this year's Most Highly Favoured Kitschmas gifts. Immaculately styled and standing a queenly 8 inches tall, Bobble Head Mary is ready to give her approving nod to all aspects of the Christmas story...Bobble Head Mary can be hailed for just $18.95"

I have to admit coveting the Buddy Christ statue pictured here, which was inspired by the Roman Catholic marketing campaign in the movie Dogma.

There is a lot more there too and it is all real. Certainly if you have been in any Christian Book Store you have seen some junk along with the gems. While our house probably has more than its share of Christian art and other Christian stuff, I wonder what sort of tribute these things—or any things—are to our Lord, who died with no possessions, not even the clothes on his back. Why do we make and buy tchatchkas for Jesus?

Do these things trivialize the Holy or do they in their own way remind us of the one relationship in our lives that matters most?

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor + King of Peace Episcopal Church