November 24, 2023 • 12 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
For the love of money is the root of all
kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the
faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with
many sorrows. One Timothy six, Verse ten. Heavenly Father, in
the reflective light of your wisdom, we come before you
in the wake of Black Friday, a day's symbolic of
both abundance and excess. We thank you for the blessings
(00:21):
you bestow upon us, for the provision of our needs,
and the joy of your continual presence as we navigate
the complexities of consumerism, especially highlighted in these times, Guide
our hearts to remember the teachings of your word. The
true contentment and great gain come from godliness and a
grateful heart. Lord, help us to distinguish between our needs
and wants, to resist temptation of greed, and to uphold
(00:43):
the values of stewardship and generosity. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
Welcome to Pray News where hope is our only bias.
Today's news at a glance, we take a deep dive
into the history of Black Friday and take time to
reflect and consider our relationship to consumerism. It's black Friday,
not just a day after Thanksgiving, but the beginning of
(01:03):
advent season. We have a lot of excellent Christmas content
coming your way. If you haven't yet downloaded the Prey
dot Com app or checked out our other podcasts, we
highly recommend you do. Listen to the story of Christmas
come to life, hear inspirational messages from world class leaders,
and be inspired with Christmas devotionals. We're glad you're here.
We pray today's Black Friday Special leaves you informed and transformed.
(01:25):
Before we get to today's Black Friday Special, let's hear
a word from these sponsors. The plates have been washed,
all the games are done, and a collective sigh fills
the air. It's Thursday night, post Thanksgiving. The euphoria and
stress from the holiday have reached their familiar end. There's
a brief pause from the glorious mayhem. There's a chill
in the air, and all is right. Right after Thanksgiving,
(01:49):
there is this moment of pure thankfulness, a pause of
prayer and gratitude for all God has blessed us with.
It's a quiet and beautiful moment hovering over each household,
like the before the storm, the bliss only lasts so long.
Soon the tranquility of Thanksgiving is replaced by the bustling cityscape,
the echoes of commerce and chaos intertwining with the frenzied
(02:11):
dance of buyers and sellers. Under the glowing neon signs,
people shove, yell, and compete for their last item on
the shelf. All the gratitude expressed on Thursday gives way
to the endless need for more, more, and more. It's
Black Friday. The story of Black Friday is a modern
retail saga steeped in history, myths, and a dash of mystery.
(02:35):
There are many possible reasons we call today Black Friday,
but which story holds true. Let's embark on a time
traveling narrative together to unravel the real story behind Black Friday.
Our narrative begins at a time when America was still
feeling the tremors of the Civil War, a period marked
(02:56):
by reconstruction, innovation, and, as we shall see, unbridled avarice.
This is the backdrop against which we meet are central characters,
James Fiske Junior and Jay Gould, two names destined to
become synonymous with the term robber bearers. James Fiske Junior's
journey to infamy was as colorful as it was controversial.
(03:18):
He was a flambuoyant financier from Pohnewill, Vermont. Fisk's early
life was a patchwork of eclectic jobs. He dabbled in
the circus, weighted tables, pedaled goods, but eventually found his
way into the world of finance. His rise to prominence
began during the Civil War, where he made a fortune
through army contracts. It was in the throes of this
(03:39):
tumultuous time that his path faithfully crossed with Jay Gould.
Jay Gould's beginnings were more conventional, from working in his
father's hardware business to ventures in lumber, tanning, leather, and banking.
Gould's life was a testament to the nineteenth century entrepreneurship dream.
His meeting with Fisk would mark the beginning of one
of the most notorious partnerships and American financial history. Golden
(04:04):
Fisk's earliest notorious collaboration revolved around the Erie Railroad. At
the time, much of the railroad stock was controlled by
Cornelius Vanderbilt. However, Golden Fisk, along with their associate Daniel Drew,
had Grander dreams for the railroad, They concocted a scheme
to issue fraudulent stock, aiming to weaken Vanderbilt's grip and
(04:24):
seize control of the company. This infamous battle, often referred
to as the Erie War, eventually saw Vanderbilt seed control
to the Trio. With power in their hands, Golden Fisk
further cemented their influence by appointing Tammany Hall's Williams. Tweed,
also notoriously known as Boss Tweed, as director. He ensured
(04:45):
legislative support for all of their ventures. The scandal that
they became most famous for, though, began as the US
economy was recovering post Civil War. Golden Fisk, ever, the opportunist,
hatched a plan to buy gold cheaply and then sell
it for more of a profit. However, their scheme required
manipulating the highest levels of government. They enlisted Able Rathbone Corbin,
(05:08):
the President's brother in law, to influence President Grant, but,
as with all tales of hubris, their plane crumbled. President Grant,
sensing something amiss, released a vast amount of gold into
the market, causing its price to plummet. The catastrophic event
on Friday September twenty fourth, eighteen sixty nine not only
ruined many, including Corbin, but also left an undelible mark
(05:30):
on the nation's financial history, being notoriously named Black Friday.
The effects of this failed plot rippled across the nation,
leaving a trail of financial ruin from the wealthiest barons
to the humblest farmers. Yet the name Black Friday didn't
quite stick. It was lost in the annals of history
until one hundred years later. Fast forward to nineteen fifties Philadelphia.
(05:54):
Throngs of suburban shoppers and tourists would flood into the city,
drawn by the Army Navy football game, creating a perfect
storm of traffic, crowds, and commotion. The police were overwhelmed
each year, filling up the jails with shoplifters taking advantage
of the crowds and drunk spectators Before the game, hit
and runs were rampant, The car crashes were inevitable, and
(06:14):
Philadelphia PD was overwhelmed with the relentless crowds. This is why,
at a frustration in pandemonium, the Philadelphia Police named the
day after Thanksgiving Black Friday. The police weren't the only
ones annoyed and fed up. Philadelphia retail employees lamented the
surge of shoppers flooding the stores of Thanksgiving sales. An
(06:37):
archived clip from a piece titled Tips to Good Human
Relations for Factory Executives, which was published in nineteen fifty
one issue of Factory Management and Maintenance Magazine, described rampant
absenteeism the Friday after Thanksgiving. To quote them, Friday after
Thanksgiving itis is a disease second only to the bubonic
plague in its effects. At least that's the feeling of
(06:58):
those who have to get the production out when the
Black Friday comes along. The shop may be half empty,
but every absentee was sick and can prove it. Employees
hated the day after Thanksgiving so much that they called
in sick and droves. This only added to the amount
of shoplifting, further descending Friday further and further into darkness.
(07:20):
By nineteen sixty one, Black Friday had become a local
term in Philadelphia, albeit with negative connotations. This obviously wasn't
good for business. Merchants and city boosters, eager to reshape
its image, attempted to rebrand it as Big Friday. Their
efforts were in vain, but the term gradually began spreading
across the country. It wasn't until the late nineteen eighties
(07:41):
that retailers successfully reinvented Black Friday into a positive phenomenon,
emphasizing the red to black profit narrative. This new interpretation
took hold, and the day's darker origins in Philadelphia were
largely forgotten. Fast forward to the mid twentieth century, where
a different story of Black Friday is being written. In
this version, the term symbolizes a transition for retailers, a
(08:04):
move from loss in the red to profit into the black.
It said that after a year of financial struggles, stores
would finally see profit on the day after Thanksgiving thanks
to the deluge of holiday shoppers hunting for discounts. You see, you,
as a shopper, are contributing to the economy. This narrative,
while widely accepted and propagated, veers from the truth, offering
(08:26):
a more sanitized version of Black Friday's origins. Yet Black
Friday is not without its darkness, chained to the cold
stone floor of its past. Between two thousand and six
and twenty and eighteen, Black Friday was marked not just
by blockbuster sales, but also by harrowing incidents. Statistics painted
a grim picture eleven dead and one hundred and nine
(08:48):
injured and forty four different incidents across America. These numbers
chilling as they are only scratched the surface of the
true human cost of Black Friday. Among these tragedies are
stories of shoppers suffering severe injuries, like a man who
sustained a shattered hip after being pushed into the shelf
of discounted gifts. The severity of these incidents has even
(09:08):
led to the creation of a website, Black Friday Death Count,
documenting the worst of these tragedies. In two thousand and eight,
the dark side of Black Friday had a new low.
A Walmart employee on Long Island lost his life in
a stampede when over two thousand shoppers, driven by a
frenzy for deals, broke through the store's doors. This tragic
event marks Black Friday's first stampede fatality, a stark reminder
(09:31):
of the unbridled consumer zeal that can turn deadly. The
violence wasn't only accidental. In twenty and eleven, an off
duty police officer reportedly used pepper spray on a crowd
of shoppers in North Carolina, injuring twenty people. The incident,
reported by NBC News, was especially harrowing for those of
medical conditions. In Tallahassee, Florida, the fight for Black Friday
(09:52):
deals spills into the parking lot. In twenty twelve, two
people were shot over a parking spot dispute, a grim
illustration of the tension that could be escalating during the
high stake shopping day. The violence continued in twenty sixteen,
with multiple shootings in South Jersey. Two people were shot
in a mall parking lot, one fatality. In San Antonio,
a good samaritan trying to intervene in a domestic dispute
(10:14):
at a Walmart parking lot was shot and killed. These
incidents underscored the volatile mix of high emotions and high
stakes that Black Friday can bring. In the swirling mix
of history and hearsay, another more disturbing myth emerged. This
one suggested that in the eighteen hundreds, southern plantation owners
could purchase and slave people at a discount on the
day after Thanksgiving. But this version of Black Friday's history,
(10:37):
though harrowing and provocative, is unfounded. Yet it sparks significant
controversy and calls for boycotts against the retail holiday. To
this day, from its contentious beginnings to its current status
as a retail juggernaut, Black Friday has evolved significantly. What
once was a single day of extraordinary sales has transformed
(10:58):
into a four day event, given rise to new retail
holidays like Small Business Saturday, Sunday and Cyber Monday. Stores
began opening their doors earlier each year, with some welcoming
shoppers immediately after Thanksgiving dinner. This is the backdrop for
our reflection today. Paul writes in One Timothy six six
through ten. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For
(11:20):
we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take
anything out of the world. But if we have food
and clothing, with these we will be content. But those
who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare,
into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into
ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the
root of all kinds of evils. Black Friday brings us
(11:40):
at the crossroads of good stewardship and the idolatry of greed.
Many families have used Black Friday as an opportunity to
retrieve necessary items Christmas gifts and appliances at a discounted price,
acting as good stewards over the resources God has given them. Others, however,
have been swept away by the waves of greed. It
is imperative that, especially on the heels of a day
like Thanksgiving, we do not become consumed by consumerism. The
(12:04):
signs of sales and discounts lead us to believe that
we are taking advantage of the system, but in reality,
the system takes advantage of us. Without being preachy or
judgmental of what you do on Black Friday, here's a
loving encouragement to remember to be content in all things
because you have a loving God who cares for you
in times of abundance and lack. Let's pray, Heavenly Father,
(12:26):
let us not be swept away by the current of consumerism,
but rather anchor us in the rich soil of your
love and grace. And every season, whether in abundance or scarcity,
remind us of your unfailing provision and care. As we
move forward from Thanksgiving into the season of Advent, keep
us mindful of the greatest gift of all, Your son
in Jesus' name, we pray amen
For the love of money is the root of all
kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the
faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with
many sorrows. One Timothy six, Verse ten. Heavenly Father, in
the reflective light of your wisdom, we come before you
in the wake of Black Friday, a day's symbolic of
both abundance and excess. We thank you for the blessings
(00:21):
you bestow upon us, for the provision of our needs,
and the joy of your continual presence as we navigate
the complexities of consumerism, especially highlighted in these times, Guide
our hearts to remember the teachings of your word. The
true contentment and great gain come from godliness and a
grateful heart. Lord, help us to distinguish between our needs
and wants, to resist temptation of greed, and to uphold
(00:43):
the values of stewardship and generosity. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
Welcome to Pray News where hope is our only bias.
Today's news at a glance, we take a deep dive
into the history of Black Friday and take time to
reflect and consider our relationship to consumerism. It's black Friday,
not just a day after Thanksgiving, but the beginning of
(01:03):
advent season. We have a lot of excellent Christmas content
coming your way. If you haven't yet downloaded the Prey
dot Com app or checked out our other podcasts, we
highly recommend you do. Listen to the story of Christmas
come to life, hear inspirational messages from world class leaders,
and be inspired with Christmas devotionals. We're glad you're here.
We pray today's Black Friday Special leaves you informed and transformed.
(01:25):
Before we get to today's Black Friday Special, let's hear
a word from these sponsors. The plates have been washed,
all the games are done, and a collective sigh fills
the air. It's Thursday night, post Thanksgiving. The euphoria and
stress from the holiday have reached their familiar end. There's
a brief pause from the glorious mayhem. There's a chill
in the air, and all is right. Right after Thanksgiving,
(01:49):
there is this moment of pure thankfulness, a pause of
prayer and gratitude for all God has blessed us with.
It's a quiet and beautiful moment hovering over each household,
like the before the storm, the bliss only lasts so long.
Soon the tranquility of Thanksgiving is replaced by the bustling cityscape,
the echoes of commerce and chaos intertwining with the frenzied
(02:11):
dance of buyers and sellers. Under the glowing neon signs,
people shove, yell, and compete for their last item on
the shelf. All the gratitude expressed on Thursday gives way
to the endless need for more, more, and more. It's
Black Friday. The story of Black Friday is a modern
retail saga steeped in history, myths, and a dash of mystery.
(02:35):
There are many possible reasons we call today Black Friday,
but which story holds true. Let's embark on a time
traveling narrative together to unravel the real story behind Black Friday.
Our narrative begins at a time when America was still
feeling the tremors of the Civil War, a period marked
(02:56):
by reconstruction, innovation, and, as we shall see, unbridled avarice.
This is the backdrop against which we meet are central characters,
James Fiske Junior and Jay Gould, two names destined to
become synonymous with the term robber bearers. James Fiske Junior's
journey to infamy was as colorful as it was controversial.
(03:18):
He was a flambuoyant financier from Pohnewill, Vermont. Fisk's early
life was a patchwork of eclectic jobs. He dabbled in
the circus, weighted tables, pedaled goods, but eventually found his
way into the world of finance. His rise to prominence
began during the Civil War, where he made a fortune
through army contracts. It was in the throes of this
(03:39):
tumultuous time that his path faithfully crossed with Jay Gould.
Jay Gould's beginnings were more conventional, from working in his
father's hardware business to ventures in lumber, tanning, leather, and banking.
Gould's life was a testament to the nineteenth century entrepreneurship dream.
His meeting with Fisk would mark the beginning of one
of the most notorious partnerships and American financial history. Golden
(04:04):
Fisk's earliest notorious collaboration revolved around the Erie Railroad. At
the time, much of the railroad stock was controlled by
Cornelius Vanderbilt. However, Golden Fisk, along with their associate Daniel Drew,
had Grander dreams for the railroad, They concocted a scheme
to issue fraudulent stock, aiming to weaken Vanderbilt's grip and
(04:24):
seize control of the company. This infamous battle, often referred
to as the Erie War, eventually saw Vanderbilt seed control
to the Trio. With power in their hands, Golden Fisk
further cemented their influence by appointing Tammany Hall's Williams. Tweed,
also notoriously known as Boss Tweed, as director. He ensured
(04:45):
legislative support for all of their ventures. The scandal that
they became most famous for, though, began as the US
economy was recovering post Civil War. Golden Fisk, ever, the opportunist,
hatched a plan to buy gold cheaply and then sell
it for more of a profit. However, their scheme required
manipulating the highest levels of government. They enlisted Able Rathbone Corbin,
(05:08):
the President's brother in law, to influence President Grant, but,
as with all tales of hubris, their plane crumbled. President Grant,
sensing something amiss, released a vast amount of gold into
the market, causing its price to plummet. The catastrophic event
on Friday September twenty fourth, eighteen sixty nine not only
ruined many, including Corbin, but also left an undelible mark
(05:30):
on the nation's financial history, being notoriously named Black Friday.
The effects of this failed plot rippled across the nation,
leaving a trail of financial ruin from the wealthiest barons
to the humblest farmers. Yet the name Black Friday didn't
quite stick. It was lost in the annals of history
until one hundred years later. Fast forward to nineteen fifties Philadelphia.
(05:54):
Throngs of suburban shoppers and tourists would flood into the city,
drawn by the Army Navy football game, creating a perfect
storm of traffic, crowds, and commotion. The police were overwhelmed
each year, filling up the jails with shoplifters taking advantage
of the crowds and drunk spectators Before the game, hit
and runs were rampant, The car crashes were inevitable, and
(06:14):
Philadelphia PD was overwhelmed with the relentless crowds. This is why,
at a frustration in pandemonium, the Philadelphia Police named the
day after Thanksgiving Black Friday. The police weren't the only
ones annoyed and fed up. Philadelphia retail employees lamented the
surge of shoppers flooding the stores of Thanksgiving sales. An
(06:37):
archived clip from a piece titled Tips to Good Human
Relations for Factory Executives, which was published in nineteen fifty
one issue of Factory Management and Maintenance Magazine, described rampant
absenteeism the Friday after Thanksgiving. To quote them, Friday after
Thanksgiving itis is a disease second only to the bubonic
plague in its effects. At least that's the feeling of
(06:58):
those who have to get the production out when the
Black Friday comes along. The shop may be half empty,
but every absentee was sick and can prove it. Employees
hated the day after Thanksgiving so much that they called
in sick and droves. This only added to the amount
of shoplifting, further descending Friday further and further into darkness.
(07:20):
By nineteen sixty one, Black Friday had become a local
term in Philadelphia, albeit with negative connotations. This obviously wasn't
good for business. Merchants and city boosters, eager to reshape
its image, attempted to rebrand it as Big Friday. Their
efforts were in vain, but the term gradually began spreading
across the country. It wasn't until the late nineteen eighties
(07:41):
that retailers successfully reinvented Black Friday into a positive phenomenon,
emphasizing the red to black profit narrative. This new interpretation
took hold, and the day's darker origins in Philadelphia were
largely forgotten. Fast forward to the mid twentieth century, where
a different story of Black Friday is being written. In
this version, the term symbolizes a transition for retailers, a
(08:04):
move from loss in the red to profit into the black.
It said that after a year of financial struggles, stores
would finally see profit on the day after Thanksgiving thanks
to the deluge of holiday shoppers hunting for discounts. You see, you,
as a shopper, are contributing to the economy. This narrative,
while widely accepted and propagated, veers from the truth, offering
(08:26):
a more sanitized version of Black Friday's origins. Yet Black
Friday is not without its darkness, chained to the cold
stone floor of its past. Between two thousand and six
and twenty and eighteen, Black Friday was marked not just
by blockbuster sales, but also by harrowing incidents. Statistics painted
a grim picture eleven dead and one hundred and nine
(08:48):
injured and forty four different incidents across America. These numbers
chilling as they are only scratched the surface of the
true human cost of Black Friday. Among these tragedies are
stories of shoppers suffering severe injuries, like a man who
sustained a shattered hip after being pushed into the shelf
of discounted gifts. The severity of these incidents has even
(09:08):
led to the creation of a website, Black Friday Death Count,
documenting the worst of these tragedies. In two thousand and eight,
the dark side of Black Friday had a new low.
A Walmart employee on Long Island lost his life in
a stampede when over two thousand shoppers, driven by a
frenzy for deals, broke through the store's doors. This tragic
event marks Black Friday's first stampede fatality, a stark reminder
(09:31):
of the unbridled consumer zeal that can turn deadly. The
violence wasn't only accidental. In twenty and eleven, an off
duty police officer reportedly used pepper spray on a crowd
of shoppers in North Carolina, injuring twenty people. The incident,
reported by NBC News, was especially harrowing for those of
medical conditions. In Tallahassee, Florida, the fight for Black Friday
(09:52):
deals spills into the parking lot. In twenty twelve, two
people were shot over a parking spot dispute, a grim
illustration of the tension that could be escalating during the
high stake shopping day. The violence continued in twenty sixteen,
with multiple shootings in South Jersey. Two people were shot
in a mall parking lot, one fatality. In San Antonio,
a good samaritan trying to intervene in a domestic dispute
(10:14):
at a Walmart parking lot was shot and killed. These
incidents underscored the volatile mix of high emotions and high
stakes that Black Friday can bring. In the swirling mix
of history and hearsay, another more disturbing myth emerged. This
one suggested that in the eighteen hundreds, southern plantation owners
could purchase and slave people at a discount on the
day after Thanksgiving. But this version of Black Friday's history,
(10:37):
though harrowing and provocative, is unfounded. Yet it sparks significant
controversy and calls for boycotts against the retail holiday. To
this day, from its contentious beginnings to its current status
as a retail juggernaut, Black Friday has evolved significantly. What
once was a single day of extraordinary sales has transformed
(10:58):
into a four day event, given rise to new retail
holidays like Small Business Saturday, Sunday and Cyber Monday. Stores
began opening their doors earlier each year, with some welcoming
shoppers immediately after Thanksgiving dinner. This is the backdrop for
our reflection today. Paul writes in One Timothy six six
through ten. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For
(11:20):
we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take
anything out of the world. But if we have food
and clothing, with these we will be content. But those
who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare,
into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into
ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the
root of all kinds of evils. Black Friday brings us
(11:40):
at the crossroads of good stewardship and the idolatry of greed.
Many families have used Black Friday as an opportunity to
retrieve necessary items Christmas gifts and appliances at a discounted price,
acting as good stewards over the resources God has given them. Others, however,
have been swept away by the waves of greed. It
is imperative that, especially on the heels of a day
like Thanksgiving, we do not become consumed by consumerism. The
(12:04):
signs of sales and discounts lead us to believe that
we are taking advantage of the system, but in reality,
the system takes advantage of us. Without being preachy or
judgmental of what you do on Black Friday, here's a
loving encouragement to remember to be content in all things
because you have a loving God who cares for you
in times of abundance and lack. Let's pray, Heavenly Father,
(12:26):
let us not be swept away by the current of consumerism,
but rather anchor us in the rich soil of your
love and grace. And every season, whether in abundance or scarcity,
remind us of your unfailing provision and care. As we
move forward from Thanksgiving into the season of Advent, keep
us mindful of the greatest gift of all, Your son
in Jesus' name, we pray amen
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