Christian Comment with Rev. Mike Smith, Vicar of Nailsworth, Horsley and Kingscote
I HAVE recently returned from a holiday touring California from the bright lights of San Francisco and Los Angeles to the wonders of the Sierra Nevada and the Californian coast.
I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to travel in this way.
There are striking difference between life in rural Gloucestershire and the sunshine state!
But, putting aside many of the cultural and geographical differences that exist, there was one aspect of my trip that intrigued me.
Without exception, everyone that I met from the border control officer at San Francisco Airport to the housekeeping staff in the hotel had the same attitude towards us.
They were warm, welcoming, friendly and genuinely interested in us as people.
The contrast between entering the USA and returning to the UK could not have been more stark.
As we handed over our passports, my wife and I were greeted with a smile and words of welcome and enquiry about where were planning to go on our trip.
Perhaps seduced by the charm of people we met in the USA I foolishly greeted the border control officer at Heathrow with a cheery ‘good morning’ as I handed over my passport to be greeted with silence and a stony stare!
What’s all this got to do with anything?
Well, I know that we have a reputation for being uptight here in the UK whilst California is renowned for being laid back.
But I felt it was more than that.
The people we met in California not only seemed to put others first, they also took pleasure in it.
If you want a religious parallel, they knew how to ‘love their neighbour as themselves’.
This was Jesus great commandment alongside that of loving God with our whole being.
We are good in the UK at responding to great times of need or crisis. But I wonder if we might have something to learn from the Californian easy charm and grace that says ‘you are really important to me – I will do all I can to make our encounter pleasurable and warm’.
Such an attitude costs nothing but achieves loads.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here