Karma tippers

Does the way you tip your waitress say anything about your faith? I could have said waiter since I was one for a couple of years. All three of my children waited tables. So I am biased, but that doesn’t make my experience any less true. When I was a waiter all of us who waited tables did not like waiting on Christians. Sunday crowds were the worse. Christians are notoriously bad tippers, especially those who leave little or no tip and a tract. DO NOT DO THAT. If you want to leave a tract leave a 30% tip, that might, might get your tract read. Otherwise, do not leave a bad taste for the gospel.

I never stiff a waitress; I always leave a decent tip. Normally I give 20% for good service. There’s the rub, for good service. That’s why when I read what Joe Thorn had to say hurt so deeply. In the wonderful little book Note to Self Thorn writes “Here’s a good test for yourself – how do you tip servers at a restaurant? Not just good servers but even the bad ones. Have you considered that tipping generously, even if the service is bad, is a demonstration of grace that is not likely to be lost on the server? Stop judging. Let the gospel compel you to live by grace and demonstrate it to those around you.” Later on he pens, “Consider how often you give what you think is justice – that is, what you think people deserve. You tip less for bad service, ignore people who have snubbed you, or sigh and roll your eyes at the person…You may not be doing evil, but you are not doing good. Ask yourself, Am I known as person of grace or a person of karma? Do people see in me the principle of you get what you deserve, or what goes around comes around?”

Could I be a “person of karma” instead of grace? Ouch.