February 9 Krum Star Article
"Airplanes and Cosmetics"
Airplanes, service, delays,
ridiculous prices for a bottle of water—and we can’t
take our own in any more. On my quick trip to California
last week, I was carrying on my bag, so was careful to
put my cosmetics in quart size plastic bags. No problem
going through D/FW. On the way back, the security person
threw away my toothpaste—said it was too big. Then
she took a small jar of cream that said on the label that
it was 3.5 oz, but I knew that there was less than ½
ounce left. She said it was also too big. I said, “Look
inside—there’s hardly any left.” She
looks, saw the very small amount and said, “We go
by the label” and into the trash that went. Then,
she noted that I had things in two plastic bags, insisted
that they be combined because apparently there is only
supposed to be one, and then went ahead and replaced the
then empty plastic bag in my suitcase. So I guess I can
carry as many plastic bags as I want in my suitcase as
long as they are empty. Nice to know.
I ruminate on all these things
as I continue to explore what it means to live as a Christian
in our complex world. What was my responsibility in the
security line at the airport? How can I be salt and light
and the aroma of grace in a world where fear reigns and
common sense doesn’t seem to be showing its face
very well?
While riding on the plane,
I pondered Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain (known more
familiarly as The Sermon on the Mount—but in Luke,
chapter six, it reads, “Coming down off the mountain
with them, he stood on a plain . . .”). It’s
full of challenging admonitions—things like considering
ourselves blessed when we lose everything, when we are
hungry, when we weep, when we are persecuted. We are told
straight out: “Love your enemies—let them
bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone
gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer
for that person” (translation from The Message).
So how do I love someone whose
job it is to throw away my cosmetics and toothpaste and
for whom I must almost strip to get on my flight home?
How do I love the vendor of the $2.00 bottle of water?
How do I love my seatmate who wears so much perfume that
I get an immediate headache when she sits down? How do
I love the over-worked flight attendant who overlooks
a request for help or service? How do I love the person
who bangs me on the head when retrieving his suitcase
from the overhead bin?
It’s really pretty simple.
I love them the way I myself want to be loved. With compassion,
forgiveness, and hope for the future. With an open heart—or
suitcase, as the case may be—laughing at the mistakes,
shrugging off the lost toothpaste and face cream, and
resolving to do better the next time. With integrity and
honesty, always speaking truth tempered with love, seeking
the best for the other while offering the best of myself.
Yep, pretty simple. And it takes a lifetime to learn to
do it well.
