“Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore.” 2 Corinthians 5:16
It was the morning of Ash Wednesday, and I was traveling to Nashville to participate in a General Board of Higher Education Ministry and Wespath workshop on clergy well-being. The weather forecast that morning was rough as a nasty front was moving across North Carolina and creating all kinds of turmoil. I knew this heading to the Fayetteville airport and anticipated I would face some sort of travel hiccup with the day ahead. We were able to board the plane, pulled away from the jetway, and then the pilot came on the overhead speaker and explained we were waiting for a new route to get us around the storm. About 15 minutes later, the pilot shared an update that our route had been shut down as the weather pattern had changed again. We ended up waiting an hour on the tarmac before we were given clearance to depart for Charlotte, which caused me to miss my connecting flight to Nashville. I was not going to make the 1 pm start of the workshop.
When I arrived in Charlotte, I checked the departure board once I got off the plane and checked for the flight my app was telling me I was bumped onto. It was a much later flight which didn’t leave until 2:30 pm. I also noticed there were two other earlier Nashville flights and decided to make my way to the customer service area to see if I could possibly change to an earlier flight.
There was no line and an agent motioned for me to come forward and asked, “How can I help you?” I replied, “Just seeing if I might be able to jump on an earlier flight to Nashville, as I missed my connection due to a weather delay leaving Fayetteville.” The agent then asked me, “Are you an Advantage member or an Admirals Club member?” “I don’t think so,” I said, as she looked up my name on her screen. Then she looked up at me and said, ”You don’t have status, so we can’t help you.” I awkwardly looked at her and mumbled, “Thank you,” and slowly walked away. “Even if there were 100 empty seats on the plane, I couldn’t help you.”
Her words were unexpected, and they stung. I wondered why she added the last words to an already clear message – “You don’t have status.” As I walked away and found a place to think about what I was going to do next, I realized these words have caused and are causing a whole lot of hurt when they’re said to others.
You don’t have status means you are excluded.
You don’t have status means you are lacking.
You don’t have status means you are less than.
You don’t have status means you are limited.
You don’t have status means you are unwelcomed.
I purchased a bottle of water and a sandwich at the nearest shop, and the woman working the cash register had ashes on her forehead. I asked if the airport chapel might be offering a service, and she said yes, telling me to follow the USO signs to the chapel, which would be right next door. I thanked her for her witness and made my way to the chapel.
Upon my arrival, I was warmly greeted by a man in a reflective vest, with a name badge indicating he was part of the chaplain staff. He invited me to have a seat to catch my breath and shared that a brief Ash Wednesday service would begin in a few minutes. Other passengers and airport staff were gathering in the small chapel, and there were nine of us when the service began. The chaplain opened with a responsive prayer, shared scripture from the Psalter and Gospel lessons for the day, and then offered a blessing over the ashes. He then shared brief instructions for us and invited us to come forward, so that he could share the ashes.
“Remember you are dust,” he said as he carefully pressed the ashes in the form of a cross on my forehead. “And to dust, I shall return,” I replied quietly.
And with those words, in that moment, as the chaplain touched my forehead, I was reminded of my status as a child of God.
Blessings,
David
photo credit: David Blackman – Charlotte Douglas International Airport 03.05.2025