Wednesday, March 09, 2005
What would Jesus do?
Our moral compass sometimes goes haywire and has difficulty finding north. One day I was chatting to a friend, and they suggested taking the What would Jesus do? approach. The idea goes like this; whenever your faced with a moral decision, whether it is to offer your seat to a pensioner or to park in a disabled-only bay, then always ask yourself, What would Jesus do?The other day, after I bought something from a store, I realized that the lady had given me too much change just after i had left. I was standing there in the street thinking, should I go back or should I go by myself lunch? Terrible terrible dilemma as you can imagine. My conscious was in turmoil as it grappled with the difficult choice that had to be made.
So I asked myself, What would Jesus do? I figured Jesus would call up his mother Mary to seek advice. So I called my mother up. My mother said just give the money to charity but whatever you do don't take it back to the store cos it is American you damn fool of a girl you shouldn't be shopping there in the first place. Hmmm I thought to myself, I don't think Jesus is anti-american, not with all those evangelicals there.
I'm sure Jesus would look for a second opinion. So I called my cousin up. My cousin said that he read a fatwa by Fadlallah somewhere that said you should take the money back to the place of origin as the money ultimately still belongs to them and they have simply 'misplaced' it. Jesus would have agreed with Fadlallah on this one i'm sure. Jesus would have probably looked even deeper at the issue and considered the person who made the mistake of giving the extra change - the amateur cashier girl who would stand accused of pinching the money out of the till if the accounts didn't add up at the close of day. That's exactly what Jesus would do I thought to myself. He would definitely look at the human suffering outcome of this.
I walk back into the store and asked to see the manager. "Hi, I just bought something and I think I got given extra change, I just thought i'd return it just in case someone gets into trouble". The woman looked very perplexed, she didn't know what to do, "Oh, its the first time anyone has ever done that, let me go check". It was as if i'd just told her that her skirt was stuck in her panties or something. She goes away and comes back a few minutes later and says "well, the electronic tills seem to add up, I suggest you go and have lunch on us!".
Thanks Jesus. Next moral dilemma, should I open an islamic banking account? What would Jesus do?
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jesus would have lunch with them. and then share it with the crack-hos and criminals.
For your good deed you got your reward IMMEDIATELY :)
Al i think its all mother. I came to wish her a Happy Val. Day but to her i say Happy love day...She still rants thats its not for us Muslims...wish i could tell her to chillax
Going back to the store not only cleared your conscience with you know who, but at the same time, because what you did what you did, Hu gave you something in return. All's well that ends well :)
Thanks gals.... has anyone else been in a similar moral dilemma?
I really do recommend the What Jesus would do approach? as it can help put things in perspective..
but yeah i was really shocked when the lady said "u can keep it" and she was genuinely impressed that I actually came back to declare it. I really did get a buzz from that, in a addition to doing good of course.
BBN; Jesus would have definitely paid his friend back. Well done, you passed the Jesus test.