Well, next spring, make sure and take a closer look at the quote printed on your cup when you hit up Starbucks for a latte. You might just find an inspiring passage from none other than The Purpose-Driven Life. Yep, that’s right–Rick Warren has found yet another way to expand the empire of his latest book. As if we didn’t get the message with the original book, the journal, the leather-bound journal, the mini-book, the cd, the “for graduates” book, the “meditations” book, the “promises” book, the calendar, the devotional book, the scripture cards, and the stationary, I think we have felt the saturation of this commerical overkill. It’s definately surpassed the point of positivity. I mean, if someone you know gave you a Purpose-Driven Life desk calendar as a gift, would you be more impressed with or more disappointed in that friend? I know I would try to trade it in for a Far Side calendar, no question. At this point, what does it say about you when you show up to work wearing a Purpose-Driven Life necktie? I rest my case. I don’t mean to hate on the book and everything. In fact I own it and have read (most of) it. It’s good and all, but man, let’s take it down a notch. Anytime you have a book that’s referenced and/or quoted more than scripture itself, you’re sitting on a pretty serious problem (and that has happened with this book).

Unfortunately, this Starbucks cup thing is actually the only relatively good idea I’ve seen come out of the Purpose-Driven sub-culture. Why? Well, Starbucks has been doing this “quote on the cup” thing for quite some time, but the quotes tend to be either pretty new-age or liberal in nature. The quotes that have been used in the past are supposed to carry a theme of inspiration and motivation, yet God (the cause, source, and means of all great inspiration) has been mysteriously absent from the cardboard. Is it because Starbucks is a secular, super-liberal institution? Maybe. But, they’re trying to make something happen with Big Rick. Sure, it would be nice to have a more pure form of inspiration (Bible) printed on that cup, but I suppose then it would appear to “cheapen” the Word of God. Now, I’m not looking to get spiritual advice from my coffee cup or Rick Warren, but I guess they can’t do any serious damage. If anything, I think God deserves a shout-out from my grande Americano every once in a while.