This essay, published in Christ and Popular Culture, is a companion piece to my recent essay on the same subject. Here, I continue and expand on my analysis and reflections on the nature of the commodity. I discuss the cultural significance of the Air Jordan sneaker, drawing parallels between its elevation to an iconic status and the veneration of holy relics in religious contexts. My essay explores how the film "Air" portrays the sneaker as more than a commodity, emphasizing its symbolic connection to basketball legend Michael Jordan. In the essay I explain how, unlike true religious practices, consumer worship lacks transformative potential. I encourage readers to critically examine the commercial sacralization of products, resist manufactured transcendence, and use everyday objects for mindful self-reflection.
