Jerks

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” The words of Jesus. Matthew 5:11-12

I dealt with a jerk in the Starbucks drive-through the other day. This guy is somewhat regular, so I know I will see him again. I’ve learned his name, and I know his drink. I won’t share those here. This guy is simply a jerk.

At some point in one of our past interactions I must have told this customer I was a pastor. I honestly don’t recall. A few weeks ago, this guy pulled up to my window and flashed a snarky smile as I handed out his drinks.

“Hey, it’s the pastor. How about a Bible verse for the day?”

I was caught off guard. What to do? I’m not sure Starbucks wants any of us to quote Scripture with customers. More so, I was taken aback by the request. I paused and thought and eventually went with a Psalm. I can’t even tell you which one. Simply the first thing that came to mind. I’ve never been asked anything like this by a customer.

My jerk friend was satisfied. “Yeah, that’s more like it,” he said, before driving away.

The whole exchange bothered me. I was troubled that it took me so long to recall a scripture fitting for the moment. I was bothered that this customer seemed to enjoy putting me on the spot. I didn’t like how all this felt. The more I reflected, the more it seemed this guy was simply being a jerk. An antagonist. Having a bit of fun at my expense.

I hadn’t seen this guy again until just the other day. This time I knew he was coming. I saw his drink pop up in our mobile order area, complete with his name on the sticker. When he announced himself at the speaker box, I made sure to have my scripture handy. This time I would be ready.

“Ah, it’s the pastor again. Do you have my Bible verse for the day?”

I went with another Psalm. He nodded with a snarky grin, pleased I had bid his wish. Everything about this second time around confirmed this guy was doing his best to antagonize me. It did not sit well. I had to say something. Irritated, I leaned in.

“So, are you a Christian?” I asked.

“Ha! No. I grew up with that and then I explored other religions. I don’t buy any of that nonsense,” he said. “I guess you could say I’m a Muslin now, but that’s only to make my wife happy. As far as I’m concerned, all the world religions boil down to basically the same message: don’t be a dick.”

At this, I laughed and nodded. “Yeah, that’s probably a pretty good summary,” I said. I didn’t know what else to say at that moment, and I do think he’s right to some degree. I told him I appreciated the general truths shared between the major religions and did my best to end the conversation without being a “dick” myself.

Here’s the biggest irony I’ve realized from these past two interactions: this guy is a total dick. Okay, we will go with “jerk” as this feels more appropriate for my audience. Either way, he is one.

I’ve known non-believers who judge Christians harshly, expecting them to live (consistently, perfectly) by a Christian ethic, while they themselves seemingly have no moral code. They don’t follow Jesus, so they can be whatever kind of jerks they want. Alternately, Christians must always behave as they (jerks, etc.) think appropriate and fitting for people who follow Christ. I’ve experienced this plenty in my life. I have family members who have treated me this way since childhood.

As I reflected on this interaction the other day, these were the thoughts bouncing around in my head. I’m tired of people who “don’t buy any of this” telling those of us who do how we should live our lives. I’ve been told too many times. If you don’t buy it, if you don’t live by Christian standards yourself, who are you to interpret and apply those standards to me or anyone else?

The words of Jesus from the passage above came to me eventually. “Blessed are you when people are jerks at the Starbucks drive-through because they know you are trying to follow me.” That’s a rough paraphrase, but you get the idea. I’ve spent so much of my adult career working with Christian people, I haven’t been exposed to jerks like this guy – antagonists – in my daily life. I have that one family member, and I’ve encountered a few others over the years. Mostly, my day-to-day interactions have been with people who are at least nominally Christian. It’s an uncomfortable feeling to be “blessed” this way at my workplace.

So now I begin planning for my next conversation with this customer. I have a scripture in mind already and think I will take things up a notch. “The Lord is my shepherd” sufficed the other day. Next time, I’m going with John 14. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Let’s see where this takes things.

I appreciate your prayers as I anticipate my next interaction. I don’t want to be a jerk, myself. I do, however, want to engage this customer in a way that is slightly more engaging. I welcome your thoughts on the matter, especially any suggestions you may have for scripture or conversation prompts that might move this conversation forward in positive ways.

Till then, may you and I both show and share Jesus in word and deed. May we be bold without being jerks to others.

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