[331 words]
The Houston Airport had a problem. Over and over, a major complaint from its customers was that they had to wait too long for their bags after the flight. So the executives worked to address the issue. They added new staff, streamlined the process and were able cut wait time from as long as 30 minutes in some cases to an average of only 8 minutes. Still complaint kept pouring in. They did everything they could to shrink the time, but 8 minutes was about as fast as they were going to get. Yet irate customers still bemoaned the delay.
It was odd because the 8 minutes was the well within the standard for most airports but other locations didn’t face the onslaught of complaints. That’s when the administrators realized the real problem. The walk from the disembarking gate to baggage claim at Houston was a short 1 minute walk. Most other airport the journey was 5 to 10 minutes. It wasn’t the 8 minute delay itself that was the problem; it was the fact that people had to stand around doing nothing during that time. When the airport moved the gates and carousels farther apart making the journey 6 minutes and the idle time only two minutes, complaints disappeared.
The same thing happens in the church. When a church is busy about the Lord’s business, it funny how complaints and murmuring disappear. When we grow slack and don’t do much, the backbiting and chaos ensue.
If you find yourself upset about something going on in your congregation the best solution isn’t to complain about it, it’s to get up a do something about it. It might not be much of as much problem even when you get to work on it. If a group of people are murmuring, get them to work on something. The complaints may be more about idleness than any issue.
When everyone is busy rowing the boat, it’s hard to find the time to rock it.
Barry Haynes
Hope church of Christ
Hope, AR