I live in Northeast Georgia, near the city of Athens. My local newspaper is the Athens Banner Herald. Yesterday while on lunch break, I read the paper online. I came across this article. And upon reading it, I became quite dismayed.
Woman booted from Athens restaurant, calls manager a ‘Muslim’
A 68-year-old Athens woman caused a disturbance at an Oconee County restaurant Tuesday when authorities said the woman became irate at the food price and didn’t want to deal with a manager who appeared to be “Muslim.”
Oh, my. That is sad behavior… Then in the next sentence, we read this:
A deputy was dispatched to Ryan’s off Epps Bridge Parkway about noon when the woman, who was in the restaurant with a church group, complained about the price of the buffet.
She’s with a church group? Oh, my my. Here is the rest of the article:
When the manager spoke to the woman, she complained about his speech, telling the 43-year-old man that if he wanted to live in this country he needs “to speak clear English,” according to the report. When the manager asked her to leave, she became upset and a deputy was summoned. The deputy told the woman to leave and she did, but complained the deputy was taking the manager’s side because he was a Muslim.
“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1)
I want to speak to this issue, but I don’t want to speak about this woman, specifically. I don’t have all the facts. I don’t know why she behaved that way. Maybe she was on a different medication that day and had a reaction to it. Maybe she had just received devastating news. Maybe she was coming down with Norovirus. Maybe she lost a loved one in the 9/11 attacks or in the Middle East to one of the wars and has let grief gain a foothold of bitterness that satan is exploiting. I don’t know.“A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.” (Proverbs 29:22).
What I do want to speak to is a Christian’s behavior in general. The bible has a lot to say about our behavior in the world. We are supposed to show the people that we are separate from the world, in it but not of it. (Colossians 3:5). It is our outward behavior that shows the distinction. If we behave with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; we are demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23). In 1 Corinthians 6:11 Paul explains that a saved person used to behave a certain way, but now we’re “washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
We’re told, “because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16). As Barnes’ Notes explains, “It is a great truth, that people everywhere will imitate the God whom they worship. They will form their character in accordance with his. They will regard what he does as right. They will attempt to rise no higher in virtue than the God whom they adore, and they will practice freely what he is supposed to do or approve.”
And you know the many verses about not being quarrelsome, such as this one from Titus 3:2- “of no one to speak evil, not to be quarrelsome — gentle, showing all meekness to all men,”
1 Peter 3:4 says that a gentle spirit is precious to God.
What is in us, comes out. Now, we don’t “live the Gospel.” The Gospel is Good News, and that is something we speak. But the Gospel is supposed to change us after justification occurs, we become sanctified and consecrated, a separate people different from the world. The unbelieving world hates the cross, it is an offense to them and a foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). They wait in depraved skepticism for us to mess up.
Of course it didn’t take long for the pagans to chime in with comments on the article. There are already over 100 comments. Comments like these litter the discussion forum:
“didn’t want to deal with a manager who appeared to be “Muslim.” And she was with her church group? Not exactly christian of her.”
“On the contrary, sounds typically Christian to me.”
“No, not very Christian of her…but certainly VERY religious of her.”
“You just can’t make this stuff up”
“Gotta love the “church group” out there representing Christianity and Christ like love and tolerance. He should have just thrown her a** right out the door!”
Such behavior is not only gleeful for the pagans, but dispiriting to the Christians, too
“How true. I am a Christian, but, find it difficult to be in most churches these days. People like this woman is why.”
“Same here. I give up on the people but I never give up on my faith.”
Paul had his hands full with the Corinthians. Imagine planting a church where there never had been a church. Where people never had generations of being softened to the Gospel. Where the Christian commandments were the exact opposite of that life demanded in those days (love, charity, respect for life, submission to masters and governments…)
Being human, we are going to mess up. The gibbering demons have a field day each time we do. So what we need to do is try with all our mind, heart, strength and soul to limit the times we mess up so that our witness of Godly character isn’t tarnished. The key is not to give up on the people. I actually feel bad for that lady. Who could expect that your moment of weakness and tantrum was going to end up in the newspaper, archived forever, and commented on by hundreds of people? Her sin simply found her out, while others of us haven’t been found out …yet. (Above, The Resurrection, by Pericle Fazzini, in Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall)
So let’s straighten up a bit, remember we are on stage and the audience is the world. Moreover, even if only one person, or no one, sees our tantrum, the One seated in the SkyBox sees all our hissy fits. I wonder, we besmirch His name, does He cringe? Does He furrow His brow? Does He write it down in His book?
I guess what I’m trying to say is “Be a Christian”, the kind the world does not expect but the kind the bible urges us to be:
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)
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