If you've seen the "Don't Talk to Me" commercial for McDonald's coffee, I'm betting it annoys you. If you haven't seen it, here it is:

I am completely irritated by this commercial. I mean, I understand not everyone is a morning person. And I know this is a commercial--it's gonna exaggerate the consumer's need for a product. But still, I just cannot stand watching even 30 seconds of this sulky jerk starting his day by telling people, "Don't even talk to me until I've had my coffee." Well,that's if he even talks to them. One poor friendly lady merely gets a dismissive wave.

But I've also discovered a deeper reason for discomfort here: This silly commercial hits on an uncomfortable truth. And it has nothing to do with coffee. At the core, what this guy is doing is making an excuse for his rude, unloving behavior to friends and strangers. He's rationalizing treating people how ever he wants. It's not a lack of coffee that is his problem--it's that he doesn't feel like making the effort. He chooses not to overcome his circumstances to show common courtesy.

And I do the same. All the time. How often do I let my circumstances dictate how I treat others? I might think, "I would go talk to that lonely person or show God's love through a nice gesture...but man, I am so stressed out." Or too tired. Or too sad. Or hungry. Or busy. Or just about anything else. The hard truth: When God instructs us to love others, extend compassion and show kindness, he didn't say anything about whether or not we felt like it.

What do you think? Does the commercial bug you? Have you seen yourself fall in this trap? What rationalizations do you tend to fall back on to excuse how you treat others? How can we best avoid giving in when we don't feel like being loving?

Topics: TV, Culture At Large, Theology & The Church, Evangelism, News & Politics, Social Trends