Last week, my brother inspired me to write a little about how to be a good customer. The next day in my quiet time, though, God reminded me that this wasn’t just a nice, friendly idea, to make our world a little sweeter, but was actually something he commanded. I know you know the command – love your neighbour as yourself.
Who is my neighbour? Well, he’s the person I encounter along the way as I’m going about my daily business. Regardless of what he needs from me, what his background is, or how inconvenient it will be for me to go out of my way and act lovingly towards him, I’m commanded to do it.
And what will that look like? 1 Corinthians 13 puts it like this:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I’ve highlighted the bits I think are most relevant to conversations with telemarketers, till operators and helpdesk staff.
I found this a salutory lesson – when I’m polite and friendly to a stranger I’m not just being nice, I’m obeying a direct command…
