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Dear Families,
Last weekend, my wife and I decided to get a fast-food breakfast sandwich. It has been a while since I have visited a fast-food restaurant. I had trouble at the drive-thru because I didn’t have the “app” for the restaurant. I was even more puzzled when I entered because there were self-order stations instead of cashiers waiting to take my order. I spied what looked like a front counter and headed towards it, hoping to get some help.
An elderly woman cut in front of me and slammed a half-opened breakfast sandwich on the counter. She turned towards me, waving a piece of bacon, “Does this look done to you!” She then berated the young woman working at the counter about the finer points of crispy bacon and demanded a full refund. The cashier left to get her manager and the elderly woman turned to me and said, “It’s terrible what they have done to this restaurant.” It took me a few seconds to understand what she meant. It was then that I noticed most of the employees were ethnically different than the woman.
The manager appeared with a receipt and the cash refund. The elderly woman took the cash, threw the receipt at the manager, and stormed out. The young woman left the counter area and found an empty booth. She sat down, put her head down on the table and remained there by herself. It was difficult to witness the hurt caused by one person to another.
Ndaba Mandela recently visited Malden Catholic. He is the grandson of Nelson Mandela, the revered anti-apartheid activist and the first president of South Africa (1994-1999). Nelson Mandela spent twenty-seven years in prison for his views on equality and reconciliation before being released, and played a major role in ending South Africa’s racial segregation, ushering in a peaceful transition to majority rule. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1993 for his efforts. His story is quite incredible.
Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Our Xaverian charism calls us to seek to establish inclusive communities of faith while we embrace the challenges and opportunities of dialogue between cultures. Ndaba Mandela, when he visited, echoed the words of his grandfather, calling Malden Catholic to fulfill its calling.
Back to the story at the restaurant. The bacon was not the issue. The elderly woman’s reaction towards a group of people based on her own perceptions was at the root of her anger. The result of her actions left a young woman, trying to earn a living at a fast-food restaurant, sitting alone, dejected. A limp piece of bacon did not merit such an outcome.
Yet, something happened almost immediately after the angry woman had left. The restaurant was filled with regulars, elderly folks the same ethnicity as the elderly woman. Several of the customers approached the booth and comforted the young woman. It was clear they knew her by name and had a relationship with her. As they spoke with her, she eventually smiled. They reassured her of their support.
Watching the story unfold made me reflect on how the difference we are called to make (which Nelson Mandela made his life work) happens within us to demonstrate Christ’s love to others.
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Sincerely,
John K. Thornburg
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