"The customer is always right!" That's what I remember hearing and seeing on placards at retailers growing up ... until some time in the 90's. I'm not sure what shifted in our culture, but slowly those placards disappeared. By the time I was working a retail job in college, instead of hearing a manager tell us, "the customer is always right," our trainer was a loss-prevention specialist telling us to be wary of consumers who might be trying to scam the system: who were returning things they hadn't bought there, who were using coupons or discounts that didn't apply to the item they were purchasing, who were hiding one item inside another so they'd only get charged for one, or who were using food stamps to buy something for which food stamps did not apply.
A couple weeks ago I had a new sofa delivered from an online store. It was one of the first design decisions in what I hope is going to be my very first cohesive-looking, "adult" home. The crate arrived damaged, and when Brian unpacked it, there were two quarter-sized dents in the front of the visible wooden frame. I was beside myself because not only had I spent a good deal of money to have a nice-looking sofa, but I was just certain the customer service representative was going to be difficult about fixing it. Instead of facing off against a faceless computer rep, you can imagine my delight when Muriel responded to my email, thanked me for the photos I had submitted which helped her process my claim, and told me that not only would they send me a new sofa, but that I could donate the sofa to the charity of my choice rather than shipping it back to the company. She had turned my expectations upside down. I had assumed that she would be difficult about my return in part because I've had poor customer service experiences in the past, but also because I might have been difficult with her in a similar situation. Instead, I have a new sofa arriving this week, and yesterday, Bob Johnson helped me bring the original sofa to Lord of Life, where we'll use it for additional seating in the library.
We brace ourselves for bad experiences all the time. Outside of our personal bubbles and people we can identify as "like us," we tend to see a world full of "others" whose intentions could be anywhere from stubborn to nefarious. The Gospels are full of stories in which Jesus not only interacts with, but also touches and heals people who would have been considered outsiders. His disciples warn him of the bad experiences he may encounter, but each story ends with a beautiful experience and another believer receiving the promise of salvation. There are no exceptions for migrants, criminals, people of other faiths, or people of other genders. Jesus is setting an example for us not only to share peace with other people, but also to find peace within ourselves in a world of diverse humanity. We can be happier, ourselves, if we start with positive assumptions about people and situations, and we can spread that happiness to others, too.
Yours in Christ,
John Johns