Last week, I returned a DVD, which I told the clerk I had enjoyed. She said she hadn’t seen it, which didn’t surprise me. It was a slightly obscure Spanish film with English subtitles. Hearing this, she said, “I don’t normally like foreign films. I have to really be in the mood to read subtitles.”
My instinctive response was to feel a little bit of contempt for her, yet another superficial American who can’t be bothered to digest the artistic wonder of foreign film. But since contempt didn’t seem very Christian, I decided to say, “Yeah, they are extra work, aren’t they?” Being nice felt good.
But then I realized something. I actually agree with her! Although I occasionally watch a foreign film, I too dislike having to read the dialogue. Moreover, hadn’t she actually said that she does sometimes watch them? So there I was, secretly judging her for things we actually had very much in common!
I wonder whether I would have seen this accurately if I hadn’t forced myself to say something nice to her against my sinful impulses.
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