white trash

Today my coworkers were really upset at some of their tables for tipping them poorly, among other things. So they absolutely berated these people with the phrase that I hate more than any other in the entire world- White Trash. I think that to be one of the most racist, degrading terms that we can use to describe a group of people. Trash. Basura. Worthless. Garbage. I hate it. Anyway, I hear it a lot, so what struck me, this time, was those who were doing the labeling. They were all individuals who had made a career of waitressing.

Just last weekend I was telling my parents how much I loved my job and how it was helping me to see life from a different perspective. My restaurant is near an elite university, so many of our successful clients come with their successful parents to visit their successful children at this university. I was actually turned down to do my Masters there, and it was suggested that my application would have been considered differently had I been better connected because it was a school that took care of its own. My least favorite clients are those connected with this school who treat me like a worthless servant. When I described my indignation at being treated this way, my mom responded by assuring me that I’m not “just a waitress” and that I’m working on my MA, for heaven’s sake! And I almost yelled at her (OK, maybe I did yell, a little), saying that was exactly my point- that she was tying my worth to the fact that I am educated and working toward my goals. But I work with people who really are “just” servers. That is their job. Most of them are single moms. They have no plans of advancement. And so people from my socioeconomic class don't value them. It infuriates me.

So anyway, I have gone to great lengths to treat my coworkers my equals, even though in society’s eyes I am far superior to them. But I treat them as people and love them because God created us all as bearers of God’s image. So hearing them turn around and slam those "beneath" them felt more than a bit ironic. I thought, “have you no clue how far down the social ladder you, yourselves, are? I treat you with love and respect, and I can assure you that the gap between you and I is much larger than that between you and the ‘white trash’ you’re degrading.”

And then I immediately thought of my Creator. The Almighty God, the Ruler of heaven and earth, loves, accepts, and honors us. And yet our instinct is to puff ourselves up by passing judgment on others. How ironic.

Thank You, Lord, for this picture. Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness. Thank You, Lord, for the honor of extending Your love to the world. Thank You.