Thursday, August 28, 2014

Grace over coffee?

Let's talk about Starbuck's, shall we?



In the last two days I've witnessed a local Food Blogger get slammed for her report on the toxic ingredients found in a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Now, let me say, I love ALL things pumpkin.
And I don't hate Starbucks, though I can't say I LOVE Starbucks either.
I don't go there daily, weekly, or sometimes even for months on end.

I have a favorite drink there and even when a lot of Christians were boycotting the company, I chose not to.  {if you're interested, here's why: this post perfectly explains how I feel about boycotts, even though I didn't write it.}

Apparently, people get really upset and defensive when you start picking on their Pumpkin Spice Latte or #psl as they've been calling it of late.

I tried a PSL once.  Remember when I said I loved ALL things pumpkin? 
Well, except a Starbucks PSL. 
Maybe the barista was having an off day or maybe I was, but at any rate, it was so bad {in my opinion}, that I chose to never try another one.

But that's not what this post is about.



In the last day or two, I have seen the following hashtags in response to Food Babe's blog/Twitter posts:
#suckitfoodbabe
#foodhunksoldiers {parody of "food babe army", as she calls her fans}
#psl
#pslforlife
and probably several others I forgot during the course of the day.

I also saw lots of name calling - fear-monger, "forcing your habits on everyone else," "the food babe just ruined fall," #youareajoke, #googleacademygraduate, and #yourresearchisbs just to name a few.

If you go to her Facebook page,you'll see there's even a Snopes article trying to disprove her research. {A Snopes article that conveniently leaves out points Food Babe already addressed in her original post.}



Ouch!
Do you feel for her right now?
I do!

This whole issue supports my ever-growing concern that as a society we are becoming more anti-social, less compassionate, and only tolerant of those who agree with us.

Ok, so you disagree with her research.
Anyone with minimal intelligence knows that High Fructose Corn Syrup isn't good for you! But because Food Babe associated it with your precious Starbucks PSL, that's grounds for bashing her?

By sharing this research, she wasn't bashing Starbucks.  She wasn't starting a boycott.
She was simply asking for transparency; full disclosure of the ingredients a customer is choosing to ingest when they order a #psl.

So because of this, she gets reamed online and through social media??
Tell me how this is ok?

And you might be thinking, "it's just coffee!"
It's so much more than coffee, because this is becoming a trend!

Disagreeing with someone is not grounds for a hashtag war.
It's not ok to bash another person and go out of your way to make them look bad and non-credible on social media.

Whatever happened to "to each his own?"

When someone shares a differing opinion than you, are they FORCING you to agree with them? No.  It's not even possible in most cases! 

Give some grace!

Would you want to be in her shoes over something you were passionate about sharing with others?
 
So why even comment? Ignore it.

Because, think about it:which do you think got Food Babe more attention - people who disagree, comment and freak out all over social media, or those who disagree but keep it to themselves and go on living?

Give grace. 
Give it with High Fructose Corn Syrup if you choose, but remember to give it.

Grace is "unmerited favor," meaning none of us deserve it.
He calls us to love others as He first loved us.

I believe that includes giving grace.




Titus 2:11-14 ESV 

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.



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