Start the Movie

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am not cheap but I do like to save money.  I also like to go to the movies.  One of the things I do is to attend early Saturday morning movies at my local theatre.  The price is cheap and the place is less crowded. 

Recently Christmas and I went to a move and there were perhaps thirty people there.  We noticed that the time had come and gone for the movie to start but did not really care.  Once the movie was ten minutes beyond start time a young girl, one of the ushers, came in and announced that there was a problem in the projection booth but it would be fixed momentarily.

Many of us expressed a simple thank you.  One man, up and to my left yelled at the girl, “Tell them to hurry up.” 

The girl responded by saying, “I am sure they are doing all they can.” 

He responded dismissively, “Just start the movie.”

It took just another minute for the movie to begin.  I spent that minute reminding myself that the way of following Christ precluded me from doing verbal or physical harm to the man behind me. 

Later my Daughter and I discussed how sad someone’s life must be that they need to be unkind to a teenage girl who had no control over the situation.  To my delight I could hear compassion in Christmas’ voice as she said that she was embarrassed for the girl. 

It troubled me greatly that we have lost the ability to just be decent to people in our daily interactions.  I said this to Christmas and she pointed out that the other 29 of us were either silent of had thanked the girl. 

Her reminder made me more determined to be kind to people who are in the service industries.  They do so much that we take for granted.  They work on holidays. They work late hours.  They have to deal with the crowds, lines, and complaints.  If I dare to think that I am following Christ I had better have a heart of kindness, compassion, and gratitude toward them.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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