Bigotry

I stole this blog from a great man named Walt Mueller off of his website CPYU (Center For Parent / Youth Understanding) because I wanted to make sure I was able to keep it and I really connected with this. Becasue I know a few people (understated) that are always so excited to see famous people, and I too get in this trap of not wanted to talk to "normal" people in groecery stores. Well Keep reading below and this man has so much more wisdom to share on his site https://www.cpyu.org/page.aspx?id=76960

5/23/05

This is bigotry.

If I were to appear as a contestant on Jeopardy it would go something like this: “Walt, it’s your turn.” “I’ll take ‘Faulty Assumptions’ for $600 Alex.” “The answer is, ‘Brad Rutter.’” As I pushed my buzzer to lock in, I’d prepare to make this confession: “Who is the guy who used to wait on me at the local Coconuts record store who I thought was just another retail clerk?” Sadly, 600 points would be added to my score. Okay, I’m not much of a Jeopardy fan but I will be watching this week as Brad Rutter tries to unseat Ken Jennings as the show’s biggest winner ever who actually unseated Rutter from that distinction. I believe they call it the “Tournament of Champions.” A trio of really smart people will match wits onstage and onscreen as they vie for the title and the big money. What’s this have to do with me, bigotry, and a confession? You see, for a long time there was a guy named Brad who would wait on me during my monthly stops at Coconuts. I should have known he was a prime candidate for Jeopardy success because he would always ask me a series of questions: “Can I help you find something?”, “Did you find everything you were looking for?”, “Will there be anything else?”, and “Will you be paying with cash or charge?” I knew there were always some other questions he was dying to ask me as he stood there behind the register. . . . . like “Aren’t you a little old to be buying that Marilyn Manson CD????” Then, a couple of years ago Brad was no longer working at Coconuts. He didn’t have to. He was living off the wad of money he won as one of the first Jeopardy “Tournament of Champions” winners. When I first saw the newspaper account of his game show success I excitedly told my family that, “Hey, I know this guy!” What I didn’t tell me my family was that Brad’s worth in my eyes had suddenly increased along with his net financial worth. I knew what was going on in my head. I was allowing Brad’s fame and fortune to define his personal worth. He used to be just a Coconut’s clerk. Now, he was a millionaire. Then it dawned on me. . . . . I think I might be a bigot. After all, I wasn’t telling anyone “Hey, I know this guy!” after returning home from making a CD purchase. The reality is, God is no respecter of persons. It doesn’t matter what one does or how much they make doing it. God’s economy of personal worth is nothing like ours. Fame and fortune don’t count for Him. If He showers love and compassion on anybody, it’s the poor, oppressed, and forgotten who are viewed by society as just retail clerks at the local Coconuts. Brad Rutter’s run for additional fame and fortune this week reminds me of my own personal bigotry. I remember being on the receiving end about twenty-two years ago. I was a seminary student working a part-time job as a houseman at a rather fancy hotel on the north shore of Massachusetts. I was at the tail end of a 4 to midnight shift on a Sunday evening when the front desk paged me to go to a room to change some bedsheets. I knocked on the door and a rather disturbed fifty-something gentleman opened the door. He and has wife had just checked in after a busy day of traveling. He didn’t like the sheets that were on the bed and he was telling me about it. In fact, he hovered over my shoulder as I ripped off the old sheets and put on the new. It was humiliating to hear him talk down to me, a 26-year-old guy who – in his eyes – was just a flunky-houseman. I nervously tried to make small talk with the demanding fellow. About halfway through my task, he commented to me that I didn’t have the Boston accent he expected to hear from the hotel’s employees. I explained that I was from Philadelphia and living in the area while I attended school. That prompted his next question: “Where do you go to school and what are you studying?” When I informed him that I was a theological student pursuing a Master’s Degree his entire demeanor and tone changed. Suddenly nice and respectful, he informed me that he was an Elder at his Presbyterian Church. When I told him that I was a Presbyterian as well he started to treat me like a king. He not only helped me finish making the bed, but he gave me a sizable tip. . . . . . two things I’m sure that wouldn’t have happened if I had remained just a houseman. Hmmm. Bigotry. It didn’t feel good. But, I know I’m guilty – more often than I realize – of the same. Yes, I’ll watch Brad Rutter tonight. And when I see him start firing off questions to Alex Trebek’s answers, I’ll be reminded of the fact that nobody is just a ___________ (fill in the blank).