Meet me tonight in Atlantic City.
There’s a difference between pity and compassion. My hate for feeling pity is only superseded by my hate for feeling pitied. Compassion, on the other hand, is a noble feeling. Right?
I have a big problem with “Christian” apparel, merchandise, window stickers, etc.
I used to think it was a good thing I didn’t have a Jesus fish on my car, as I was notorious for flipping people off after cutting them off, tailgating them, mouthing cuss words, etc. What kind of message would that send to people?
So tonight when I had a table that upset me so much I was almost in tears (almost because I only really teared up after my manager was completely insensitive and rude, but whatever), I was perhaps bothered the most by the matching Christian t-shirts two of the ladies were wearing. What would Jesus do? I’m not sure, but He definitely wouldn’t treat His waitress like crap just because He thought He could get away with it. Note to anyone reading this: it doesn’t matter how much you tip, there is absolutely NO excuse for treating servers (or any customer service personnel, really) like that.
So then I’m thinking, “Well, no one’s perfect. If people refused to display symbols (t-shirts, window stickers, jewelry, etc.) of their belief for fear of sending the wrong message, well, these things would never be seen, bought, sold, whatever.” So is sending a bad message better than sending no message at all?
Let’s think for a second. One day you wear a t-shirt that says “I’M A CHRISTIAN AND I LOVE EVERYONE BECAUSE JESUS LOVES THEM THROUGH ME.” You come into contact with, say, 99 people who see a gentle, kind, compassionate side to you, and they think, “Oh, maybe this Jesus stuff is worth checking out” or they’re already Christians and are re-affirmed by your actions. Then you come into contact with one person. Let’s say she’s a waitress and she’s in a good mood until oh, yeah, you and the people you’re dining with decide to give her a hard time and she’s visibly upset about it but still being nice to you anyway because it’s her job. Or maybe you’re not even doing the hassling, but you don’t stop your pals from bothering her. You’re just as guilty. So that one person (who in this case is a Christian, but was discouraged by the shirt) leaves your table thinking, “Well, if that’s what Jesus’s love is capable of, count me out.” (No, I didn’t think that, but you get the idea.) So what’s the deal? Should you have worn the shirt at all that day? There’s the ol’ parable about the 99 sheep and the one who’s lost. What if the one person you should be a witness to is actually the one you have a negative effect on? What then? Should you refuse to display these symbols of your faith because you know you’re never going to make it through a day without at least having a mean thought?
I don’t know. Someone chime in here because I’m in ramble/rant mode.
The end.
Peace, love, and unambiguous symbols of faith.