"My Comfort and Joy:" the McDonaldization of the Gospel

My son had a field trip to McDonald's today. His class has been doing a push to promote reading for the past couple of months and, as a reward for their hard work, the class went to McDonald's for lunch. Of course my son was very excited about this trip and has been talking about it non-stop for a few days now. In order to be fair to my daughter, we decided to pick up McDonald's and bring it home so she could have a treat too. We normally are not the type to go out for fast food often, so getting this treat was a big deal for my kids.

As we were sitting in the drive-through waiting to place our order, I saw a sign promoting seasonal coffee drinks. Ooooh - peppermint mocha. So, even though I was trying to be "healthy" and order a salad, I was planning to sabotage myself with a sugary, milk-fatty mocha. Delicious. My husband pulls up to the speaker and begins placing our order. Happy meal for the youngest child - check. Combo meal for the husband - check. Salad and mocha for me - check. I was already beginning to taste the mocha in my daydreams when I saw something that caught my eye.

There, on a post, was a sign that looked like this:

"My comfort and joy." I read the words out loud and then started singing, "O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy..." No. They hadn't stooped this low, had they?

In 1993, sociologist George Ritzer made an argument that society was undergoing a process of rationalization. He described this process as the "McDonaldization of Society." Basically, Ritzer argued that in an effort to achieve efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control, humans were being replaced by non-human technology. The idea of society becoming like a fast-food restaurant was a revolutionary one, and the arguments Ritzer made were quite compelling. His original work made waves among sociologists and communication theorists who realized threads of truth in Ritzer's theory that resonated with their own experiences.

Feelings of anger and disbelief washed over me as I realized the claim McDonald's was making. Perhaps someone in their advertising department thought the phrase sounded vaguely familiar and appropriate for usage at the holidays. But, I doubt it. The advertising department at McDonald's is filled with some of the best marketers in the business. Surely, someone among them knew the reference and the hymn where it is originally found. Even if it was borrowed knowingly, perhaps you are wondering what the big deal is. It is a four-word slogan. It sounds nice and gets one in the mood for shopping and spending money. Isn't that what they are going for?

Don't misunderstand me. It is a highly effective slogan. As someone who majored in communications in college, I understand that the advertising team followed all the right rules for creating an effective slogan. It evokes childhood memories from Christmases long past. The slogan immediately brings to mind Christmas carols, which brings to mind gifts, which brings to mind spending money on others and ourselves. The phrase gives us a kind of subconscious permission to spend extravagantly. After all, it is the holiday season. Is it effective? Absolutely. Does it still bother me? Definitely.

The four words in question come from the hymn "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," which is a Christmas carol dating at least as far back as 1760. Though there are minor variations in the wording of this hymn, the basic thrust of the words is the same. The hymn text from circa 1760 goes this way:

God rest ye merry, Gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Savior
Was born upon this Day.
To save us all from Satan's power,
When we had gone astray.
O' tidings of comfort and joy. Comfort and joy.

The tidings, or news, that is supposed to bring comfort and joy is that Jesus Christ our Savior was born into the world to save us from the power of sin. Or as it says in Luke 2:10-11, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord." And this good news - unlike many bits of good news - is intended of all the people. It is not an exclusive message given only to a few. It is not something that is saved for the elite, the powerful, the strong, or the wise. The message is simple: Jesus Christ our Savior was born so that we might be saved.

But somewhere along the line, this message was lost. Somehow over the course of time, the message of the birth of the Savior became a message of extravagant giving, indulgent living, of treating oneself to a seasonal drink in the drive-through. There is nothing wrong with a treat now and then as long as we realize that those treats are not sources of lasting comfort and joy. Comfort and joy are long-lasting, profound experiences within our hearts that defy our life situations. Comfort and joy are available regardless of one's socio-economic status, the number of friends a person may have, or how successful one might be in the eyes of the world. As Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer # 1 states:

Question: What is your only comfort in life and in death? (emphasis mine)

Answer: That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Comfort and joy are not items that can be purchased in the McDonald's drive-through. It isn't something that can be inherited, consumed, or put on layaway. It isn't seasonal, bedecked with twinkling lights, or reserved for the elite.  If the message of the gospel should teach us anything, it is that the gift of God is free and available to all.