When I go to Chong’s for some Chinese fast food I try to avoid one particular man as he serves up my order…
It’s not that he’s a bad guy. And it isn’t because I don’t like him. In fact it has nothing to do with his character. I have to admit though, that sometimes I’ll count the customers in line and hope he doesn’t wait on me. Sometimes I even let people cut in front. Why?

Because he’s the manager of the place and he serves up really dinky portions.

Last week I successfully avoided him and encouraged the pimple-faced kid to give me a heaping helping. Then they tricked me! The manager switched places with the kid and then…and then…only asked for my cash. He didn’t open up my “to go” box to inspect it. Whew!

As I started to pay Andy the manager, I asked him a question, “Do you know what happened 2,005 years ago?”

“I don’t care,” he replied.

“C’mon. What happened?” I continued.

Emphatically, but still smiling, Andy repeated, “I don’t care!”

“You don’t care about the most important event that’s ever happened on earth?” I persisted.

“The Red Sox won!” a customer chimed in.

“No,” I gently corrected, “That was the second most important event.”

I again turned my attention to Andy. “C’mon. Why do we celebrate 2005? I’m not going to pay you until you answer,” I said with a grin.

Andy reached for my money.

“Okay. I’m gonna tell you anyway. Jesus Christ was born 2,005 years ago to save sinners.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“You don’t believe that God loved you so much that he sent his Son to die for your sins so you would go to Heaven?”

“No!”

“No?” I asked incredulously.

“No! He died so He could become famous.”

“Huh?”

“Like a painting. It only gets more valuable after the artist dies. That’s why He did it.”

“To be famous?”

“Yes,” Andy said confidently as he prepared to wait on the next customer.

Believe it or not, I didn’t know what to say.

*****

What would you have said to Andy? Let me know.