Common Courtesy

 I helped lead a one-day retreat this past Saturday.

As part of the day’s events,

In addition to guided reflection, discussion, and worship,

My team and I led two crafts.

As I was walked around to see if anyone needed help with the second craft,

I heard one participant say,

“Great. Another thing for me to just take home and throw away.”

 

“Wow,” I thought.
“That’s a bold statement.

And kind of mean.”

 

After the retreat was over,

I went into the restroom and noticed

Both crafts and the guided reflection paper in the trashcan.

They were just sitting there,

Neatly stacked,

Right on top,

Not even trying to be hidden.

 

“Wow,” I thought.

“Someone didn’t even have the common courtesy

To take her things home before she threw them away.”

 

My teammates and I spent a lot of time preparing for Saturday’s retreat.

One of my teammates spent countless hours researching craft ideas

And making sure she had enough supplies for everyone.

 

To somewhat loudly announce that you’re just going to throw your work away,

Or to blatantly throw away your work where other people can see,

Just seems wrong to me.

 

Did we expect everyone to keep their craft forever? No.

But did we hope that the craft would be a reminder of the day

And the power of God to transform our lives through a process of change

At least for a little while? Yes.

 

I understand that some people aren’t crafty,

I understand that some people aren’t sentimental,

I understand that some people don’t need stuff to remember,

I understand that at a certain point in life,

For various reasons,

Some people come to a place of cleaning out and purging.

 

But I don’t understand why some people must be inconsiderate and rude.

 

God: Help us to be a gracious people—to think before we speak—to pause before we do—and to consider how our actions might affect other people. No. We shouldn’t live just to make other people happy. But we should live in respectful community with one another. Help us to know what this community looks like—and may it not be freshly created butterflies thrown into the trash. Amen.