Dear Friends,
Our Christian brothers and sisters are in the middle of LENT.
“Lent is the solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry.” Wikipedia
Many Christians choose to “give up” something they eat or do during these 40 days. I read recently Pope Francis may have said. “Eat whatever you want for Lent,” begins the purported quote from Francis. “The sacrifice is not in the stomach, but in the heart. They refrain from eating meat, but don’t talk to their siblings or relatives, don’t visit their parents or bother to attend to them. Francis supposedly goes on to say it is less important to follow dietary restrictions than to seek a “deeper relationship with God through better treatment of others.” USA Today Fact Check said this quote may not be what he said. Whether it is true or not, it is valid in my mind. Instead of Fasting from chocolate or wine, let us FASY from cruel and hurtful words to others.
When we go food shopping, Steve and I like to talk with grocery store employees. This one clerk always has a smile on his face and ready to make the customers happy. His outer appearance is unusual, however once you begin talking with him, you find out he is a delightful person with a family and children.
A store clerk description says, they are to “Receive customers and assist them with the selection of merchandise. Greet, interact and monitor customers to assist the store in loss prevention. Display and organize products in a store for the customers to locate easily.” This is exactly what this gentleman does.
1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the Lord said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth. For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
This clerk told us one time he tried to help a lady reach an item from a top shelf and she said, “I didn’t know they hired midgets at this store. No you can’t help me.” She seemed offended when he said, “I am not a midget, however I will get a taller person to help you.” The store clerk is my height and I am 5’4.
Another time he asked if he could help a lady reach something and she said, “Get out of my personal space.” I do not know what faith tradition these two ladies are, however, what came out of their mouths was unkind and hurtful. No one deserves that treatment when trying to help customers and be a good employee.
If you are honoring LENT, honor one another as well and see each person as a God Being. My mother used to say, “If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all!”