PR 101: Don’t describe people you have offended and hurt as “small people.”
Unfortunately for BP, their chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg, missed that class. Brought in to repair BP’s reputation following a series of gaffes by CEO Tony Hayward, Svanberg chose the steps of the White House to say: “We care about the small people. I hear comments sometimes that large oil companies, or greedy companies, don’t care. But that is not case in BP. We care about the small people.” Svanberg is a Swede and probably did not mean what most people heard when he said “small people.” And although he later apologised, these two words perhaps did more damage to BP’s reputation than the ocean-floor webcam, the oily pelicans, and the brown beaches combined. Justin Taffinder of New Orleans was quick to respond: “We’re not small people. We’re human beings. They’re no greater than us. We don’t bow down to them. We don’t pray to them.” “We’re not small people.” Hmmm. No and yes. Of course, belittling people and treating them with contempt is always wrong. But, Jesus also told certain “big people” that unless they became “small people” they would not even enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:1-4). Consider the perfect balance in the words of the enfleshed Word. 1. Become my little ones (v. 1-4)2. Receive my little ones (v. 5)
3. Protect my little ones (v. 6-9)
4. Value my little ones (v. 10)
5. Find my little ones (v. 11-14) Svanberg will probably lose his job for his small people comments. But, grasp Jesus’ words and you may save your soul (and others’).