The Loss of a Service Culture

I spent a long hour on an airplane this morning taking a routine commuter flight between Phoenix and Burbank. I ignored the preflight instructions for the umpteenth time and waited till the last minute to stow my laptop. It is getting pretty routine. But this morning something caught my ear. The captain had announced: “The cabin crew are here principally for your safety.” I had heard it before but as I thought about it this time I was struck by the significance of the statement. Why is this important? Well not to discount the value of trained professionals should there be an emergency, but in the bigger picture it is an important indicator of a change in the prevailing culture in the America.

Let’s be honest – the cabin crew on a commercial flight are NOT there “principally for your safety.” If they were, they should sit quietly in the back of the plane waiting to respond to a crisis. But this is not what they do. In reality, they are there substantially for your comfort. They are there to serve refreshments, to bring a bundle of paper towels when you spill your coffee (like I did this morning), to help people to their seats, to bring a pillow on a long flight, and numerous other acts of service that make the passenger / customer more comfortable.

Why is it that the captain will not say “the cabin crew are here to serve you and ensure that you have the most comfortable flight possible?” The answer is that the majority of the population in our culture, including the majority of the airline cabin crew, would consider this demeaning. The idea of one’s vocation being that of a servant is distasteful, even repulsive, to most Americans. In this country we tend to aspire to positions that reward us WITH servants and service, not to positions in which we will be called to serve others. Service and labor have lost their dignity in our society.

Is this biblical? I think not. Remember the King that once said “I came not to be served, but to serve.” If we are committed to living a life that consistently honors God’s word, we need to consider our attitude toward service. As you go through your week – look for opportunities to truly thank those that serve you – to call out the value in their work and to show respect for their willingness to serve. Look for opportunities to serve others, and to think about what you can do to change the American perspective on service.