Last night I was over at Starbucks enjoying my first Tuesday night not at school and the freedom to read anything I want. My wife had a Bible Study Christmas mini party at the house for her friends so it seemed a good time to step out, get some coffee, and read in a nice environment. I started reading The Kite Runner which has been on my reading list since last winter but I keep putting it off for seminary material and then this summer I read the whole Harry Potter series and let everything else slide. Finished about half of The Kite Runner and it is really good so far, sad but good.
Anyway, as I was reading and enjoying a nice Frap, I noticed four younger (I'd guess 18-20 years old) guys came in with Bibles and sat down at a table next to me. Being curious I eavesdropped a bit and I was impressed with the depth of their conversation and approach to Bible Study. Good stuff and I smiled thinking that it was cool that a group of guys could gather in a public place and have a deep and thoughtful discussion of Jesus, and perhaps that would be a good witness. Then one of the guys asked the others, "So is anyone going to buy anything?" They all kind of looked at each other and the guy whom I think is kind of the leader basically said he didn't feel like it. It was then I noticed that they had brought in a 2 liter bottle of coke and a bag of chips.
Not sure how this happened but aren't we all pretty much under the same impression that it is rude to go into a business that sells drinks and/or food and bring your own? And isn't it rude to utilize a place of business for your own purposes but not support that business by purchasing something?
Luckily these gentlemen decided to go ahead and get something and I was glad to see it. Here's a couple of points I'd like to make about that though:
1. No, Starbucks isn't going to lose money because 4 people didn't buy something and yes, Starbucks is kind of built around the idea of being a gathering place for people, but still, if you are going to meet there, at least half of your group should get something. It doesn't have to be coffee, there are plenty of other hot and cold options, most of which are very tasty, and several don't cost more than a couple of bucks.
2. I don't want to draw too many lines in the sand but as Christians we need to be very careful about stuff like this. It just makes us look bad if we have a rather public study and then bring our own food and drink in and do not support the business. It makes us look cheap. I think we, as Christians with generosity coursing through our veins :-), should be the big tippers, the people who go out of their way to support businesses that allow us to meet and discuss things, even if they let anyone do it. Let's be the types of people who are known for generosity and good manners.
That's it.
Oh yeah, one other thing. If I get another "let's teach the oil companies a lesson" facebook invite, email forward, etc. I'm going to have to choke someone. Until we realize that the only way to deal with rising prices is to drive down demand meaning mass transit, walking, or riding a bike, none of it makes a difference. If I and everyone else drive cars the same amount, it does not matter from whom I by gasoline or if we skip a day of the week. Demand is demand and supply will meet it with the appropriate cost. This is all demand driven. Sorry folks, it's how the economy works. We can't consume, consume, consume a product of which there is a limited supply and a lengthy process by which to get it to market and expect the price to drop. It's not a DVD player.
Merry Christmas everyone. Seriously, as mean or sarcastic as that last paragraph may be I hope that everyone experiences some form of the peace of Christ in their lives, in the lives of their families, and in their interactions with their worlds this season.
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