Radiohead's new album, In Rainbows, goes on sale in the shops in a couple of months' time. Today you can download it from their website, and you decide how much you pay for it. I say well done Radiohead, for raising an interesting question in a creative way. Monday's Guardian (http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,2185647,00.html) liked their marketing strategy.
I paid £1 for it (I tried to pay £4 the first time and the site crashed). Afterwards I felt a little guilty, because upon listening to it realised it's probably worth more than that. But now I'm not so sure. On a very philosophical walk home I pondered, how on earth do you decide what monetary value to put on any item, never mind on a collection of music, which can lift or sink the soul? I pay £50 for a pair of jeans because the shop tells me that's how much they're worth. But who gives them the authority to say that? I'm not convinced they have it.
Jesus Christ once said, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man (ie him) will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." (John 6:27)
In other words, Jesus suggested that an item's value (or whether it is worth investing in) is determined by its eternal worth and significance. The one thing we ought to consider of immense value, that we don't, is the human soul. Only through him can we invest in it eternally. Who gives him the authority to claim that? He claims that God does. I think he's right, and his comments are fresh air for our consumerist culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment