March 1 2018 – Click here to listen
Recently a friend sent me an e-mail asking me to support his new ministry and perhaps collaborate. The focus is civility. I of course told him I would be happy to help any way I could.
Yesterday I was in Washington D.C. and the harrowing ride to my appointment exhibited the need for it. The traffic was as slow as a lame turtle and the lane we were in was blocked by a delivery truck. My Uber driver was trying to move into the next lane and some lady seemed determined not to allow it.
She began loudly blowing her horn and then stuck up her middle finger. I was thinking that she really shouldn’t have been so proud of having such a low IQ as to display it that way when my driver showed her that his IQ was twice hers by showing her the middle fingers on both his hands and he further demonstrated it by honking his horn with his elbow at the same time.
Wow! All that to gain what amounted to a car length in the crawling traffic.
My driver used the “F” bomb repeatedly as he screamed at her.
Ugh . . . Uncivility has overtaken our country. I was in NYC one time and went in a stand-up diner for lunch. Their menu was on the wall behind the cashier and I was trying to read it and decide what I wanted when the guy behind the counter rudely screamed at me and said, “Either place your order or get the hell out of here.” Apparently, I was taking up too much of his time, never mind that I’m a customer. I angrily responded by saying, “Well thank you very much!” except I exchanged a bomb of my own for the word thank, and I also made a remark about his heritage coming from a female dog.
I left without ordering and winced at falling into the demonic trap of responding in kind and using profanity. I knew better than to use language like that, but angrily reacted in kind. I suppose uncivility breeds uncivility, at least to someone hot-headed like me. I did not turn the cheek and was not a very good example for Christ that day. Sigh . . .
Yesterday after our meeting, I went with a couple of friends to the Capitol where the reverend Billy Graham was lying in state in the rotunda. As I prayed I thanked God for this great man who always played by the rules. I tried to envision how God had received him when he entered heaven. It must have been grand. His family was greeting each person who passed through the rotunda and I shook hands with each of them and expressed my admiration for their father. How I wish I could have the heart that he had.
When I arrived at the airport I stood in line awaiting boarding my plane for quite some time. Just as we began to board some guy came up and was trying to cut in line ahead of me.
Grrrr . . .
I was poised and ready to not allow it when I thought of Billy Graham. Uncharacteristically I said, “You appear to be in a hurry, go ahead you can go first.” He looked at me in shock, and then meekly said, “Oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to jump in front of you. Please, you go first.”.
So, this little incident may not prove that civility breeds civility or kindness results in kindness, but it worked on that guy and on me. Think about it the next time someone is rude to you.
Proverbs 25:22
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you.