The winter holidays often bring out the best and worst in people. In years past, we have had the Lay-Away Angels that have paid off random lay-away accounts for people at retail stores across the country. This year there is a group of Christian people leaving enormous tips for waiters and waitresses at various restaurants around the country.
The tips all have one thing in common ? they are signed ?Tips for Jesus.? Tips have ranged from $500 to $10,000 and have been showing up since September of this year. The generous tippers appear to be following the college football teams, as they have appeared most frequently in college towns before and after big games. Let’s hope football isn’t the only sport these Christian philanthropists?enjoy.
Tips include several in Ann Arbor, Michigan ($3,000 at Tio’s Mexican Cafe, $2,000 at the Alley Bar), a few in Chicago ($3,000 at the Boundary, $5,000 at Paris Club), and a whole bunch in Los Angelos ($1,000 at Fig & Olive, $10,000 at the Hungry Cat, $500 at Jumbo’s Clown Room).
There have been reports of the tips not having been received by waitresses at a South Bend bar, but the folks at Tips for Jesus have posted verification that the charges did indeed appear on their bill from American Express, so that problem appears to lie with the establishment rather than the generous tippers.
The University of Notre Dame released the following statement to WNDU-TV in South Bend:
Notre Dame has been working with American Express on this matter to determine the validity of the tip. We hope that question can be resolved soon.
An Instagram account (tipsforjesus) is being used to track some of the generous gifts, and others are posted under the hashtag ?#tipsforjesus.?
With the federal minimum wage for tipped personnel holding steady at a low $2.13 per hour, these random generous tips have the potential to be life-changing for the recipients. At the very least they are infusing the country with a feel-good smile and the knowledge that not all Christians have gone the way of the radical right wing ideological Christians permeating our government.
Edited/Published by: SB
