Warning, I’m about to complain.
If you follow me on twitter you may have noticed that I’ve had some issues getting books that I’ve ordered at a Christian Bookshop. That isn’t the reason I’ve decided to start using Waterstones.
You may have heard me complain about how I placed an order for a book I need to reference and they lost the order and I can’t remember which book it was either. That isn’t why I’ve decided to start using Waterstones.
I just went to pick up my order and when I politely enquired if it was available a week later, I was looked at as though I was bonkers. ‘You want a book, in a bookshop? This is a Christian Bookshop for Christian people, there’s nothin for you here’.
As she went through the packages, she put one aside and said “It can’t be that one, it is for Reverend someone”.
“That could be me”.
She put down the paper packet she was looking at, looked me up and down from head to toe, shook her head. Then she picked her package back up and carrying on with the task.
This is why I’m giving up on using Christian Businesses. I’m tired of being judged at every transaction. I’m a human being and I have a right to exist on the face of the planet. Waterstones would never dream of treating someone like that.
Can we all think about how we treat people on a “Sunday morning” without me writing a second post to point out the parallels?
Good for you Rob.
I realise that as time goes in I look more and more like a sort of trehugging hippy, so it is good o know I’m not alone…
Attitudes like the one you’ve described here are why I think it’s important that there are people who challenge stereotypes from both directions – both the idea that “Christians are weird people” and the all too common “you’re too ‘different’ to be a Christian”. Was it your book/did the lady realise she’d judged (incorrectly)?
mmmmmm – i remember christian bookshops – full of very thin study guides, very thick commentaries by victorian sounding menfolk and study bibles so sturdy you could fell an elephant with one – thankfully they all go bust
now why won’t the same thing happen to the christian “rock” music sub-culture?