Hotshots: Preferential Treatment

Title: Preferential Treatment.

Preparation:

Carton or can of drink, Doughnut or selection of sweets, shoe shine kit.

Talk:

Begin by introducing yourself and where you are from but whilst your doing this single out a member of the school audience (front row) for preferential treatment. First say ‘you’re looking a bit thirsty’ then offer them a drink, then carry on introducing yourself but stop again shortly to say ‘you look a bit hungry, can I offer you a doughnut or some sweets?’ then interrupt yourself again to offer to clean their shoes.

Then go on to say:

‘I’ve just been introducing myself but I bet you weren’t listening to what I had to say you were probably more concerned with the fact that (find out their name) was getting drinks, sweets and preferential treatment and you weren’t’

There are all sorts of reasons as to why some people get better treatment in life. Sometimes it’s because they’ve got plenty of cash. Sometimes it’s because they’re famous.

Sometimes it’s because of the way they dress, they’re so stylish that they look rich and famous – although they might not be.

However the reverse can be true as well someone might dress like a tramp and actually be really rich and famous.

For instance in history many rulers and kings have dressed up as a ‘normal’ person in order to find out what their people think of them.

In fact it still happens today. King Abdullah of the Middle Eastern country Jordan has dressed up as a Taxi driver, a cameraman and an old bloke in order to visit hospitals and other public services in order to find out what his people really think about those services.

Imagine that. Imagine if you got a new supply teacher for the day and it turned out to be Tony Blair (or Gordon Brown) in disguise checking up on how well his plans for education, education, education are going.

If you did secretly know that your supply teacher was Tony Blair you might single them out for preferential treatment, you might not!

Sometimes people get preferential treatment because they’re important and powerful. Tragically though in history and still today people can get preferential treatment just because of the colour of their skin or their nationality, or they get worse treatment just because of the colour of their skin or because of their nationality.

Jesus, who’s followers consider to be a king, had an angle on this. He said that everybody gets preferential treatment. He said poor or rich, male or female, black or white it doesn’t matter whenever you do something for somebody even if it’s just getting them a glass of water, you do it as if you’re doing it for me. (NB Summary of Matthew 25. 31-46)

Imagine if you treated everybody you met as if they were the king of the world, imagine how good we’d all feel if we all did that. Why not try it today?

Further Illustrations:

Anecdote:

Frank Winfield Woolworth the founder of the Woolworth chain used to disguise himself and shoplift from his own stores in order to test the reliability of his employees.

Film Clip:

Princess Diaries: 45M45seconds to 48.45
A schoolgirl finds out she’s really royalty: it’s supposed to be a secret but then someone tells the press…