"The Way I See It" - Cup #192

If you're a Starbucks customer you are familiar with the quotes they put on the back of their "to go" cups. I always enjoy reading the different perspectives on humanity, faith, the culture, business and even morality represented in these diverse quotations. The quotes are on the back side of the cup and the Starbucks Siren logo under the heading, "The Way I See It #____".

Recently someone called (anonymously!) a Starbucks in my area and threatened to send 100 protestors outside the store because of the "humanistic" statement on one of the cups. The caller perceived it as an anti-God quote. I read the quote and did not see it the same way. While it was not a ringing endorsement of Christianity or God, I did not get the idea that it was anti-God. I wonder if the same caller called to compliment Starbucks when Rick Warren's quote from the Purpose Driven Life graced The Way I See It #92? You've got to love those fine, mature, upstanding, character driven, Christians who make ANONYMOUS phone calls! Oh the confidence they instill for the rest of us trying to reach the culture in love.

Recently another cup's quotation caught my eye. The Way I See It #192, had the following quote: "Many people lack a spiritual belief system and fill that void with obsessions about celebreties. The celebrities are raised to the rank of gods, and these earthly gods will always fail the expectations the masses have set for them. The cycle runs thusly: adoration turns to obsession, obsession turns to disappointment, and from disappointment it is just a short emotional jump to contempt." The quote was by Donna Phillips, a freelance writer from California. Wow! Now there's a ton there to think about, comment on, or write about. She's right, people without God seek to fill that void with someone or something. Talk about a quote that could prompt a conversation about faith in a coffee shop!

French Philosopher Blaise Pascal rightly noted, "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus. "

Perhaps, we (Christ followers) would do better to pay attention to these quotes and other cultural observations with the idea of seeking intentional dialogue with non-Christ followers instead of instinctively seeking the predictable protest. Once again, Christ-followers would do better to let the culture know what we are for, instead of what we're against. The latter only reinforces legitimate, negative perceptions and even illigitimate misperceptions about us.

Here's some possible suggestions for the cup quotation team and future cups at Starbucks:

• "For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also."
• "So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do also to them."
• "A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit."
• "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened you." ---Jesus Christ of Nazareth

Legal Stuff: The blogger has received no consideration, or permission from Starbucks related to this blog entry. The comments and blog post are simply the opinions and thoughts of the author.