So last weekend I was in a long line at Subway and I heard the guy 5 ahead of me say not-loudly but fairly urgently: Please, please, please, please!
He was trying to keep the guy from taking his sandwich out of the quick roaster oven. He said “Please finish his order and then take off your gloves before taking out mine.”
The ‘sandwich artist’ was confused and the customer noted that the other customer’s sandwich had pork.
The employee said “This isn’t pork” and his coworker whispered something to him, most likely pointing out that the pepperoni footlong sandwich he was creating did, in fact, contain pork. This second employee took off his gloves and took the sandwich out the oven himself and the first customer was satisfied.
This all took place in under 10 seconds and appeared to leave no one bothered.
A part of me wanted to think thoughts about the touchy customer – thoughts like ‘that’s goofy!”
But this line of thought made me nervous, given the odd religion-based specifications that I have for how I want to live. So I refrained from prideful thoughts, mostly due to a line of thinking best described as ‘judge not that you be not judged’.
Thoughts?
5 comments
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August 16, 2010 at 8:19 am
Andy
You and I have had these conversations before. The moment that we begin in America to infringe on other religious liberty, we are asking for those others to infringe on our liberties. The moment we say how someone can order their sub, we are asking them to tell us how we can educate our kids. The moment we tell someone where they can put their mosque, we are asking them to tell us when when, how and where we can worship Christ. If I don’t want them infringing on my religious liberties, in America, I have to afford them the same rights. That’s how I read the first amendment.
August 16, 2010 at 10:53 am
Phil
I think it’s sad that someone who handles pepperoni on a daily basis was unaware that it is made from pork. Maybe he/she was new? Me, I’m hungry for a BLT about now.
August 16, 2010 at 11:30 am
Andy
Phil,
I’m surprised you weren’t at the Subway when Jamsco was there. You could teach that kid a thing or two about being a sandwich artist.
August 16, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Chris
I think you and Andy are right. And without judging, it is good when we pray for people we see when we’re out and about in situations:
for the person who is in bondage about touching or eating certain types of food
for the mom having trouble getting her kids to behave in the grocery store (as a mom I have great compassion for them because I know that even when we do all the biblical things we can to raise our kids, only the Lord can make their hearts receptive to that–and even when she seems to be using biblical and counterproductive methods, the Lord can intervene and bring her to his ways)
for the teenagers smoking stuff behind the plaza
and so much more…
August 16, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Chris
I would add that mostly it is silent prayer, or prayer in agreement with someone who is along with us, but sometimes people will let you pray with them, although I’m usually not one to go up and ask, except in hospitals.