When Henry Harrod opened a restaurant in the little town of Otorohanga, New Zealand, he had no idea that he was about to start an international incident.
In
1986, he received a letter from the owner of Harrod’s department
store in London,
England stating that he was being sued for copyright infringement.
Specifically, he was
informed he could not use
the name “Harrod’s” and that the lettering on his sign was too
similar to that
of the larger corporation. Henry
would
have to change the name of his restaurant, or risk being shut
down.
When
the people in town heard about this, they did something
remarkable. Every business
in town changed its name to Harrod’s. In fact, town council went
one step further
and changed the name of the town to Harrodsville.
Eventually,
the British tabloids got wind of the story and they jumped on it. Story after story shamed and
mocked the
larger company for its actions.
Eventually, in an effort to stop the negative publicity,
Harrod’s of
London withdrew their lawsuit. Soon
after
that, the businesses changed their names back, the town became
Otorohanga once again
and Henry Harrod went back to running his business as he had done
before.
Often,
our problems seem huge and our resources look minuscule. It is easy to think that
there is nothing we
can do to make the situation better.
However, when we do the good we can do, whether big or
small, we can
make a difference and change the outcome. Our actions and
reactions matter.
In
2
Timothy, we find these words, “Keep reminding God’s people of
these things.
Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no
value, and
only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to
God as one
approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who
correctly handles
the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who
indulge in it will
become more and more ungodly” (2 Timothy 2:14-16).
We
always have a choice: We
can respond in Godly
or ungodly ways. When we
choose to do
what is right and best, we help make the circumstances around us
better. Even more, we
become useful to God as he
works in, through and by us (see verses 20-21).
Regardless
of what is happening, you can make a difference and be a force for
good.
Just
ask Henry Harrod.
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