Category: culture

Business principle: trust your customers, give them the benefit of the doubt. I think this is a good principle, unless of course you are a gun shop owner, and then it’s best to watch your back! This principle was brilliantly illustrated for me recently by Ian of Ian’s Cafe in Willoughby. Here’s his business card. See below for the story…

Before church a couple of weeks ago, I went to buy coffees for me and a couple of other youth leaders. After they were made, I realised I didn’t have enough cash and that my card wouldn’t work in any of the local ATM’s. When I got back Ian, the owner, said I could pay him back later. I then told him that I wasn’t from the area and that I wouldn’t be back until church the following Sunday. I tried to give him my details, as I did he said not to worry because he trusted me.

Here’s why it was good business:

1. He’d already made the coffees and if I didn’t take them, he’d have to scull them or throw them out anyway
2. If I didn’t pay him back, $9 is not really worth his effort in chasing me down
3. I told a stack of people about his cafe over the following week.
4. When I went to pay him back, I bought another one (though ending in tragedy!)
5. He makes good coffee – I’ll probably go back again.
6. I’m now devoting a whole blog post to his business

I can still remember it. I was only 9 years old, even though I didn’t understand the full significance, I knew that something important was happening. On 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall – that great wall dividing East and West Germany – came crashing down.

About 2000 years earlier another wall, not a physical wall, but a wall of even greater significance came tumbling down. “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). The ‘he’ in that sentence is referring to Jesus. The ‘two’ is referring to two people groups: God’s chosen people from the Old Testament, Israel; and everyone else, Gentiles. It’s saying that Jesus has brought these two warring parties together as one. In doing so he has broken down the long-standing dividing wall of hostility bringing peace.

This peace-making act of Jesus did more than just bring two people groups together, check out the next sentence “…in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility” (Ephesians 2:16). Jesus, through the shedding of his blood on the cross, has made it possible for people to be brought back into relationship with God. This is far more incredible than the events of 1989.

ABC News reported that “pieces of the concrete wall are now displayed around the world as symbols of freedom.” Likewise with the destruction of the dividing wall 2000 years ago, there are pieces displayed around the world: “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 3:10). Here’s the deal. Today, when Christians (the church) meet together, they are displaying something of God’s wisdom: bringing people together; and together bringing them to himself.

Never been to a church? Go check one out. Don’t know which one to go to? Let me know and I’ll help you find one. Read more about Jesus: here and here.

I’ll be at The Global Leadership Summit run by Willow Creek over the next 2 days. Speakers include: Bill Hybels, Tony Blair, Bono and Tim Keller.

I might do some tweets from the sessions. Follow here.