This past week, I found myself with an especially busy morning and did not have the time to eat a moderately healthy breakfast before leaving home. So, I compromised and decided it would be ok to go through a drive thru window at Chik fil A for once a month chicken biscuit. As I joined the two lines (which merge into one, usually without incident, after ordering) I placed my order to the always friendly employee and tried to navigate whether I should be the first to merge into the one lane or the car in the other ordering lane, which is occasionally awkward. I guess since I was really looking forward to my biscuit, I was in a good mood and completely ok with allowing the car full of grade school age kids being driven by what appeared to be a stressed out mom go ahead of me.
As I paused, I received a RUDE awakening, the vehicle behind me blew their horn. My mood immediately transitioned from patient, happy driver anticipating a spicy piece of chicken stuffed between a warm biscuit to the one I try to resist. You know the one, the one where you get in your vehicle determined to drive like Jesus would before becoming defensive when the driver behind me blows their horn, follows too closely, revs their engine, etc. Well, THAT mood temporarily won and I checked my rear view mirror to see just who this jerk was who dared honk at me for trying to be a gentleman. Well, was I surprised! The "jerk" was someone's grandmother, looked to be 70 or older, grey hair, just barely able to see over the steering wheel, giving me the "what's your problem, double holding up of the hands" gesture and shaking of the head I often receive from much a much younger driver. I was initially amused, laughed it off, and enjoyed my spicy chicken biscuit as I merged into the considerate, patient, subdued early morning interstate traffic flow.
At some point during the day I had another brief smile, recalling the Chik fil A moment, wondering whose grandmother had directed some road rage at me in the drive thru lane this morning. As I've been burdened over the presidential race in the US which has become driven by personal attacks and disrespect toward other candidates, a sports culture where disrespecting the other team, coaches, fans (even toward those cheering for YOUR team) and especially officials is acceptable...from the youth through the professional leagues, and the general rudeness I witness and encounter in all facets of American culture these days. What was initially a funny, fast food drive thru encounter became another symptom of our increasingly rude and disrespectful culture.
Of course, everything I interpret in our world is through the lenses of my Christian worldview, but even so it seems that even among brothers and sister in Christ, we Americans are simply more rude than in past years. This rudeness is magnified by the racial tension, immigration issues, widening moral values, and, currently, political perspectives. One of the major political candidates has owned the phrase, "We're going too make America great again." Early in our nation's history, French philosopher Alexis De Tocqueville visited the US to determine just how our nation had actually broken away from the British Empire and flourished since doing so. His conclusion is a haunting reminder and hopefully a wake-up call for all of us. De Tocqueville concluded, "America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
As I paused, I received a RUDE awakening, the vehicle behind me blew their horn. My mood immediately transitioned from patient, happy driver anticipating a spicy piece of chicken stuffed between a warm biscuit to the one I try to resist. You know the one, the one where you get in your vehicle determined to drive like Jesus would before becoming defensive when the driver behind me blows their horn, follows too closely, revs their engine, etc. Well, THAT mood temporarily won and I checked my rear view mirror to see just who this jerk was who dared honk at me for trying to be a gentleman. Well, was I surprised! The "jerk" was someone's grandmother, looked to be 70 or older, grey hair, just barely able to see over the steering wheel, giving me the "what's your problem, double holding up of the hands" gesture and shaking of the head I often receive from much a much younger driver. I was initially amused, laughed it off, and enjoyed my spicy chicken biscuit as I merged into the considerate, patient, subdued early morning interstate traffic flow.
At some point during the day I had another brief smile, recalling the Chik fil A moment, wondering whose grandmother had directed some road rage at me in the drive thru lane this morning. As I've been burdened over the presidential race in the US which has become driven by personal attacks and disrespect toward other candidates, a sports culture where disrespecting the other team, coaches, fans (even toward those cheering for YOUR team) and especially officials is acceptable...from the youth through the professional leagues, and the general rudeness I witness and encounter in all facets of American culture these days. What was initially a funny, fast food drive thru encounter became another symptom of our increasingly rude and disrespectful culture.
Of course, everything I interpret in our world is through the lenses of my Christian worldview, but even so it seems that even among brothers and sister in Christ, we Americans are simply more rude than in past years. This rudeness is magnified by the racial tension, immigration issues, widening moral values, and, currently, political perspectives. One of the major political candidates has owned the phrase, "We're going too make America great again." Early in our nation's history, French philosopher Alexis De Tocqueville visited the US to determine just how our nation had actually broken away from the British Empire and flourished since doing so. His conclusion is a haunting reminder and hopefully a wake-up call for all of us. De Tocqueville concluded, "America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
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