- "A Musing Pastor"
Silence is golden.
"What's good for the goose is good for the gander" The old adage pointed out those things that happen to one party should be made available to the other one. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..." (Matthew 7:12a, NIV) I'm saddened that our country has drooped to an all time low and misses the intent of the passage from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
The link at the end of this blog connects you to a story of a family having to deal with contentious and complaining passengers on an airplane flight. The family is now considered a Gold Star family. It sounds quite prestigious. It isn't... (Gold Star = families who have lost a child during combat)
An excerpt from the article:
Stewart Perry said he, his wife, Kathy, and daughter were flying on an American Airlines flight from
Sacramento on Monday to Philadelphia, with a quick transfer in Phoenix. From Philadelphia, they
traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive his son's remains. For unknown reasons, Perry
said, the flight to Phoenix was 45 minutes late. The crew feared the delay might cause the Perrys to miss
their connecting flight. So, when the plane landed in Phoenix, the captain made an announcement for all
passengers to remain seated and to let a "special military family" exit the aircraft first, Perry said. Several
passengers in first class began to boo and complain, Perry said. "Some people were saying 'This is just
baloney,' and 'I paid for first-class for this?' "
(Sgt. John Perry-deceased)
As a pastor, I am called to be a non-anxious presence in situations that demand calm and composure. I'm not sure I would have been able to do so had I been on the Perry's flight. In fact, I may have told the irate passengers a thing or two. I may have used the goose and gander saying from a negative perspective. I would probably also be looking for a new line of work.
If having a small inconvenience creates that much anger and belligerence then you should review your life's priorities. Hopefully, the complaining parties will never have to feel the wrenching loss of a family member. Hopefully, they will never have to fly cross-country to retrieve their child's remains. Hopefully, they will never watch a casket being lowered into the cement vault. If they do meet up with this painful reality, they should hope (dare I say pray) for far better compassion from others than they have given. Jesus had some things to say regarding our treatment of others.
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a
snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you
would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:9-12, NIV)
God is good and gives us good gifts. God awaits our prayers of petition and intercession and responds with grace and mercy. God judges fairly in all things. God expects humanity to do likewise.
Weigh every thought that emanates from the interior of our minds. Measure every word that comes out of our mouths. Evaluate whether either will benefit and edify the one who hears our response. If we even for a brief moment consider saying something that promotes our self-importance, then it's better left unsaid. May the irate passengers (ganders) never receive what the geese (Perry's) got. If they do, may there be gracious people to help them through what most of us would consider a black hole and not a Gold moment.