I’ve had a mailshot from Boots (it’s a large chemist/pharmacy chain, for those reading outside the UK). It’s connected with my loyalty card. Don’t you love this?

Dear Reverend Faulkner,

There are so many things to enjoy over Christmas: the parties, the presents and making yourself gorgeous for the big day itself. Well, we want to make sure that you look and feel a million dollars as well as help you enjoy the season for less. …

… Why not treat yourself to something gorgeous this Christmas? Go on, you know you deserve it.

I hope you enjoy Christmas like never before!

Rebecca Pearson
Advantage Card Manager

Well, now I know. I wouldn’t have guessed before. Yes, it’s the usual crass commercialism. Their mail-merge hasn’t noticed I’m a ‘Reverend’. Much of the language in the entire letter assumes I’m female. So much for personalisation. I am not a cherished individual, just a wallet. No, probably a purse in this case.

And it would of course take more than a million dollars to make me look gorgeous! Which is something I deserve, apparently – so they know I’ve been good, do they? As usual our culture has little room for grace. It’s like politicians speaking of state benefits that people deserve. And that becomes a gospel problem for the church today: how do we speak of grace and mercy when people are continually being told they deserve this, that and everything else?

Happy Christmas, Ms Pearson. I’m sending a friend of mine, Mr Scrooge, to your store. I’m sure he’ll fit your customer profile perfectly. I expect he’ll want a makeover, just as soon as the cosmetics team is back from colouring a new mother beautiful by the side of a manger.

Technorati Tags: Boots, loyalty+cards, Christmas, commercialism, grace

I’ve had a mailshot from Boots (it’s a large chemist/pharmacy chain, for those reading outside the UK). It’s connected with my loyalty card. Don’t you love this?

Dear Reverend Faulkner,

There are so many things to enjoy over Christmas: the parties, the presents and making yourself gorgeous for the big day itself. Well, we want to make sure that you look and feel a million dollars as well as help you enjoy the season for less. …

… Why not treat yourself to something gorgeous this Christmas? Go on, you know you deserve it.

I hope you enjoy Christmas like never before!

Rebecca Pearson
Advantage Card Manager

Well, now I know. I wouldn’t have guessed before. Yes, it’s the usual crass commercialism. Their mail-merge hasn’t noticed I’m a ‘Reverend’. Much of the language in the entire letter assumes I’m female. So much for personalisation. I am not a cherished individual, just a wallet. No, probably a purse in this case.

And it would of course take more than a million dollars to make me look gorgeous! Which is something I deserve, apparently – so they know I’ve been good, do they? As usual our culture has little room for grace. It’s like politicians speaking of state benefits that people deserve. And that becomes a gospel problem for the church today: how do we speak of grace and mercy when people are continually being told they deserve this, that and everything else?

Happy Christmas, Ms Pearson. I’m sending a friend of mine, Mr Scrooge, to your store. I’m sure he’ll fit your customer profile perfectly. I expect he’ll want a makeover, just as soon as the cosmetics team is back from colouring a new mother beautiful by the side of a manger.

Technorati Tags: Boots, loyalty+cards, Christmas, commercialism, grace