‘Shopping, although it may seem remote from lofty considerations of mission, is central to our discipleship as Adventist Christians, ‘he said. ‘People suffer various in various different ways and work in bad conditions, trees fall and animals and plant species become extinct so that we can buy.' Dr Pearson explored the tensions in decision-making about ethical shopping recognising that it is possible to work oneself into dark despair and a kind of inertia over the injustices, disasters and atrocities which we, in the West, witness mostly from a distance. He suggested that ethical shopping seeks to address, in a small way, the modification of our own habits in the market place in the hope of bringing change through a growing consensus.

Dr Pearson went on to explore in detail Seventh-day Adventist teaching for resources for facing this overwhelming ethical challenge. He pointed out that environmental ethics brings into tension the two defining doctrines in the name ‘Seventh-day Adventist'. The Sabbath teaching encourages people to preserve and respect God's creation - and not to exploit it. On the other hand, some may believe that the doctrine of the Second Advent weakens the imperative to care for the earth which will soon be destroyed.  ‘We must sustain this tension and hear the words of Jesus, "Occupy till I come", he said, reminding his audience that ‘rested Sabbath-keepers are less likely to be grabbing voracious consumers.'

The lecture concluded with an exploration of the connections between the gospel and ethical shopping and a call for prophetic living. ‘If the central Christian belief that God loves us is truly rooted in the heart of the believer, then we shall not need to rely on externals, possessions or fashionable brands to convince ourselves that we are worth something,' he said. ‘The prophetic voice on the environment and issues of social justice has need of an Adventist accent. We are called to bear witness to our values.'

About 50 people - students, staff members and church members - attended the lecture in Newbold's Smith Centre and the discussion which followed covered a variety of questions both theological and practical. ‘Don't be overwhelmed. Just go home and think of some small steps you can take,' said Dr Pearson.