Tall double mocha latte, vanilla frappaccino, grande caramel macchiato—where would you hear these words uttered?  Anyone that has grown up in the U.S. or has lived here for any time at all would quickly conjure from their mental library the word ‘Starbucks’.  Starbucks has become to coffee what Kleenex is to tissues.  It is a synonym culturally infused with so much meaning.  But as a Christian, I wonder if this culturally influenced trend has any drawbacks.  Is this where Christ would have gotten his coffee (if in fact he drank coffee)?  Let’s explore. 

If we are to believe (not just with lip service, but really wholeheartedly believe) that the kingdom of God can be brought to earth and is lived out among his people here and now, then let’s evaluate if through what we do (and what we support) we are truly propagating the kingdom.  Part of this is wrapped up in coffee.   Being a conscious consumer is (a huge) part of bringing the kingdom to earth.  If we are buying and consuming to perpetuate “need” all the while poor people in third world countries are being exploited and driven to death (literally) to provide for our “need”, is this bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth?

With this question posed, let’s explore a basis for our response.  Matthew 25:31-36 states:

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”

One of the only judgment passages in the Bible states to us that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for God.  So isn’t being a conscious consumer, if it’s benefiting our impoverished and dying brothers and sister overseas part of bringing the kingdom of God to earth.  But we would rather not know what lies behind our $4.00 latte or our $50 jeans.  Our culture has told us our whole lives that this is ok, this is how the world works—exploit the poor (except they leave this part out) so that we can buy our jeans on sale.  Or even worse buy your coffee at Starbucks (at no deal) because it’s cultural and you’re helping to pay their CEO’s 16 million/year salary while coffee farmers are dying because they aren’t being paid a fair wage for their beans.

While we sit in corporate Starbucks and feel very comfortable drinking our $4.00 latte, people are dying at our expense.  But we excuse ourselves because “that’s our culture” and in all reality what difference is it going to make if I drink a latte from a fair trade small town coffee shop verses corporate Starbucks?  Well, sadly that’s the rationale of the Christian majority.  God has mandated us to care for the resources he’s entrusted to us and to the “least of these”.  So then I ask the question, if we partake in the things of this world that we know are not giving justice to the least of these or even worse oppressing them, are we really bringing the kingdom of God to earth?  Or dare I go as far as ask if we may become a goat that Jesus casts out from his presence because we did not do unto the least of these?
 
I have recently been very convicted of the corporations, businesses, and cultural practices that I support.  To stay on the subject of coffee, let me throw out the issue of Starbuck’s once again—number one they are a corporation that is making the rich few very rich at the cost of the many in the lower and middle classes.  Second and most importantly, they do not serve fair trade coffee (it’s just collecting dust shelf so that they can say, “Look we do have Fair Trade”.  Their drinks are overpriced while they have been known to exploit their third world coffee farmers (or if not exploit, not give a livable wage).  I would challenge you to find coffee alternatives that are fair trade and only fair trade.  This alone does not solve the problem, but it’s a step in the right direction.  If we are conscious consumers, we begin to live as if we’re sharing in the plight of the poor (in all areas!)  Sponsoring a child or giving to a third world development project does not give you a “ticket” to continue living comfortably and ignore the rest of the problem.  Living holistically is bringing the kingdom of God to earth. 

-Jesse Kroeze
Manager of a small town coffee shop called Holy Grounds.  We are a non-profit business focused on giving back to the community and educating the public on issues of social justice.  We serve fair trade coffee.