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Famous Christian sociologist Anthony Tony Campolo tells a story about his childhood. Mischief in the night, the night before Halloween, was a highlight of the year for his neighborhood. It was the night the kids generated all sorts of mayhem for the adult world. Cars were egged, homes were tee-peed, air was let out of car tires, trash cans were overturned–a whole assortment of pranks were sprung on neighborhoods. So in the days and even weeks before October 30th, they would dream and plan what they were going to do on Mischief Night. Campolo recalls that it was during one of these planning sessions that he and his friends came up with “the perfect prank.” They were going to break into the local five & dime store late at night, not to destroy or steal anything. What they were going to do was break into the store in order to switch all the price tags. They imagined with glee the next morning, when the store reopened and chaos followed. Toasters would be on sale for 25 cents and gum for $30, flashlights for a nickel and licorice for $15. No one would know what the price of anything really was. They would be asking who switched the price tags.

Throughout the year, you’ll see all types of advertisements; commercials, billboards, flyers, magazines and emails. These advertisement tools are being used to promote sales for stores such as black Friday sales, labor day sales, Christmas day sales, and MLK day sales. When you go to a store or visit their website, one thing that every store has in common is price tags. A price tag on merchandise shows the price at which it is offered for sale. Over the year’s prices have went up on everything. My parents always remind me that a bag of chips used to cost a penny and a gallon of gas used to cost 10 cents. One of the many reasons why prices have been raised on everything is that the human value system has changed. The prices tag has not only gone up on merchandise but also on things like, love, kindness, respect, ect.

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We can be so focused on things of this world and forget what really matters. There are fathers who work 16 hours a day not because they have to but by choice. They don’t take the chance to raise their child or pay much attention to their wife. People care about popularity and how many followers, likes and views they get, they lose friends and family trying to do so. The world we live in has a mixed up value system, we have put public opinion over the needs of others. We drive the best cars and live in the biggest homes, eat at only the best restaurants and where the nicest cloths and there is nothing wrong with that. But we forgot that there are people who go days without food, who don’t own a pair of shoes, people who have to sleep outside every night. Jesus did the exact opposite of us, he cared for the poor, he helped those who couldn’t help themselves. Most of the people Jesus helped he had never met before, he helped complete strangers. They were high on his value list, Jesus made them a priority.

Anthony Campolo said “Sometimes I think that Satan has played a trick on us all. Sometimes I think that he has broken into our lives and changed the price tags on things.” I believe that so many people live by the mindset that says that if we don’t think that people would do the same for us that we won’t do it for them. If we think this way that means, we are living by the standard of another human being but let me suggest that we should not live by human standards but by the standard that our Lord Jesus Christ had set for us. In Galatians 6:2 we are commanded to carry each other burdens. Hebrews 13:16 states that we should share with others and that when we share God is pleased. Is God pleased with you? Have your price tags been changed?

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I will leave you with this quote

“It’s Nice To Be Important, It’s More Important To Be Nice” – Anthony Campolo

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The blog post was inspired by a book that I read that holds the same name I suggest you read this book.

Who Switched The Price Tags By Anthony Campolo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!