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As a sophomore in college, I joined a group of seven other students on a Spring Break tour of seminaries. We were all considering ordained ministry as a vocation.
One morning we left our motel and decided to have breakfast at a local pancake house. The restaurant was very crowded, but in time we found two tables and pushed them together. It took about ten minutes for our server to come to our table. She brought us water and took our orders. We were hungry and eager to get on the road. However, our order took longer than we expected.
We started complaining among ourselves and could hear others in the restaurant complaining also. A few of the customers started talking disrespectfully to our server. Picking up on the angry vibe, some from our group started talking rudely just loud enough for her to hear. She was
kind to us anyway.
“Let’s all give her a penny as a tip to show her how bad her service has been.” suggested one student. In time, we got our food. It was hot and delicious. We ate quickly and rushed to the cash register to pay.
A few of us left “dissatisfied” penny tips, but most left nothing at all. Except for one student who discretely made a much bolder statement. A lot of the group missed it because they rushed out the door. However, my friend and I, who were lagging behind the rest, saw what he did and it hit me like a blow to the gut.
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