Letters from a devout Christian to Marriott CEO, Arne Sorenson, a devout Lutheran - a plea for compassion (FOURTH UPDATE - 8th July 2020)

The Marriott Corporation was founded on religious principles. Arne Sorenson, Marriott CEO, is a devout Lutheran. The following letters from a devout Christian appeal to Mr Sorenson for compassion towards the #deathbymarriott hunger striker.

"When we talk about faith in the workplace, we're talking about treating people fairly" Brian K Bedford CEO

Dear Arne,

I hope this email finds you and your family safe and well, and thank you for your recent reply to my last message. Unfortunately, it was directed to John rather than myself. He has forwarded it to me together with his comments on what you wrote. 

I have urged you to see John as your neighbour and brother but I have equally tried to get John to see you in the same light. It has not been an easy task but I did have some success when John was in Bethesda. Having met you and been led to think a compromise was possible, his attitude became much more positive. Sadly, events since then have ruined all the progress made at that time. However, all is not lost. I have told John that if you eventually do the right thing and offer a compromise, he must choose reconciliation, forget the past and forgive any wrongs he thinks were done to him. I'm sure he has taken the message on board.

In this critical situation it is vital that real empathy is shown towards John. He has fought a long battle for justice and has lost his home and savings in the process. The prospect of a long and happy retirement was also taken from him. He genuinely believes in the justice of his cause and that he has been victimised. I do not approve of his hunger strike and have sought constantly to dissuade him from it, but I can understand why he has taken this action of last resort. He is now on day 38 and time is fast running out. I checked on him yesterday and he was exhausted and finding it difficult to concentrate. He has, of course, lost a lot of weight. But his determination to continue to the end was undimmed.

As Bishop Sarah [Bishop of London, who recently wrote to you] would say, the most important thing of all is to put the teaching of Jesus into practice. We should employ compassion and love in our dealings with our fellows. That imperative should be our guide and it should transcend all other considerations. We should love our neighbours as ourselves, and if we fail in that we can't honestly claim to be Christians. The Pharisees and scribes employed a highly legalistic approach and used the law to advance their own interests. They lacked compassion and love, and hence Jesus held them in contempt.

I'm sure you don't want to be a scribe or Pharisee, Arne. Reach out to John with the same love and compassion that you wish to receive, and that you show to your family and friends. If you fail to do so, it will be a cause of everlasting regret. Compassion and love will save John but indifference and Shylockian legalism will doom him. You have the means to end this desperate and horrific situation before the precious life of a good man slips away. I beseech you, Arne, to show humanity and to rise to the challenge. Please make the right choice before it is too late.

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation." From the Gospel according to St Matthew  

Yours in Christ, FJD (8th July, 2020)

Dear Arne,

'It is the duty of every Christian to be Christ to his neighbour... Everything that is done in the world is done by hope' Martin Luther

I have always written to you in a very friendly and understanding spirit, knowing that you have had to wage a big battle with cancer. I've also known that you weren't the cause of the initial problems that John faced in this dispute.

However, I firmly consider that murky and underhand things were done in the Bangkok hotel development and that John was subjected to oppressive and bullying behaviour. He has paid an extremely high price for the stand which he took. And I also believe that you are in a position to put right an historic injustice and thus save the life of a good and honourable man. John is currently on day 33 of his hunger strike and time is running out.

By now you will have received an email from the Right Reverend Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London. I hope you will reflect deeply on Bishop Sarah's powerful, eloquent and judicious words. And I trust you will now see it as your Christian duty to extend love and compassion towards your neighbour and brother, John Shepherd.

Once more, I urgently beg you to give John a second chance at life and a second chance at happiness. Be a beacon of hope, Arne, in these very dark and worrying times. Please heed Bishop Sarah's appeal and offer John a compromise which is fair to both sides. If you can do that, you will be blessed indeed.

Yours in Christ, FJD (July 3rd, 2020)

Dear Arne,

I hope this message finds you safe and well.

As you know, John Shepherd is now on day 30 of his hunger strike and time is getting very short. He has resorted to this extreme action in a bid to get justice and to be treated fairly, following years of being ignored.

John faces his impending death with great bravery. When our own time comes, Arne, we will be doing well if we can match the calm fortitude that John is showing.

You are in a position to save his life. But to do this you must hear the message of Jesus and let it truly touch your heart. Do not just pay lip service to it. Remember our Saviour’s teachings on compassion and empathy and let these invest all your actions, and especially those towards John. You should not retreat within a corporate carapace but rather reach out to John, seeing him as your neighbour and your brother. If you fail this challenge, I fear you will be left with lasting regrets. And Marriott’s reputation will also be tainted, becoming a byword for corporate callousness and indifference.

So I beg you to do the right thing for all concerned and stop a good man’s life from slipping needlessly away.

Yours in Christ, FJD (June 30, 2020)

Dear Arne,

Subject: We have Christ in our neighbour

These are very dark days so I hope this email finds you and your family safe and well.

John Shepherd is now in day 26 of his hunger strike. I spoke to him yesterday evening. He was very tired but also very resolute.

It is disappointing, to put it mildly, that Marriott has still not acted to bring this desperate and dangerous situation to an end. I know you are hedged in by various commercial imperatives but it is surely possible to rise above these in exceptional circumstances. I ask you to take to heart Martin Luther’s inspiring words that it is ‘the duty of every Christian to be Christ to his neighbour.’ I know it won’t be easy for you, but please see John as your neighbour and your brother, and thus act with compassion and empathy. And please secure a resolution that is fair to both sides.

I’ll leave you with the stirring exhortation of the great John Wesley: ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’

Yours in Christ, FJD (June 26, 2020)

Dear Arne,

With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful - Psalms

I hope this message finds you safe and well.

As you enjoy your Sunday lunch I trust you will spare a thought for John Shepherd, now in day 21 of his hunger strike. I spoke to him yesterday. He sounded very tired but his spirit was undiminished: he is utterly determined to pursue his fast to its gruesome conclusion. He is fighting for justice and refuses to be deflected from his purpose. Why don't you get someone from your London office to meet John and verify the state of affairs? That person could also make a conditional offer and end the current deadlock. We must avoid the loss of a precious human life at all costs.

In this situation, Arne, you mustn't be trapped by bureaucratic legalism and become callous and indifferent. You need to be guided in all that you do by the teachings of Jesus and his message of love. Think of John as your brother and show compassion and empathy, the same compassion and empathy you received when being treated for cancer. That way you can make the idea of corporate responsibility have real meaning. If you can take this difficult step you will be applauded not only by John's friends but also by your colleagues, employees and shareholders.

As always, I speak to you as Christian to Christian. I implore you to do the right thing. Do not 'purchase error at the price of guidance' and so suffer a lifetime of regret. Remember, Arne, that we will all be held to account.

Yours in Christ, FJD (June 21, 2020)  

Dear Arne,

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted..... Ephesians

It is now day 17 of John's hunger strike but he tells me that he has still not heard from you. We move ever closer to what could be a dreadful outcome. For me the most sublime expression of how we should treat others comes from the words of Jesus. They make great demands on us and are very hard to live up to. But if you faithfully follow His teaching you will do something wonderful and save a life. So please be tenderhearted and act out of compassion and empathy

Yours in Christ, FJD (June 17. 2020)

Dear Arne,

Death and life are in the power of the tongue....... (Ephesians 4)

John Shepherd is now on day 14 of his hunger strike. Time is running out and Mr Smith is unable to resolve this issue. 

When someone is heading for destruction our instinct, if we are humane, is to save them. We may consider them misguided, foolish and wrong but we still try to help them. In John's case his friends believe he is on a courageous and legitimate quest for justice. Despite that, we have consistently tried to deflect him from the hunger strike strategy but obviously without success. Given John's intransigence, you, Arne, are the only one who can prevent a tragic ending to this saga. 

I hope you will be inspired by the teachings of Jesus and place compassion and love above the calculus of profit maximization. I'm sure that many of your shareholders and employees would want you to do the right thing, the Christian thing, and save a life.

So please take compassion, and not Mammon, as your guiding star and settle this matter in a way fair to both sides. If you can do that, you will be greatly blessed.

Yours in Christ, FJD (June 2020)

Dear Arne, (excerpt from February 2020)

...I trust you will make every effort to reach an accommodation which is fair to both sides. The ultimate responsibility for sorting this matter out lies with you Arne. And this issue needs to be resolved soon. There are obviously thorny legal points involved but the fundamental question is about humanity and compassion. Are we to be Pharisees or followers of Our Saviour's teachings concerning love for our fellow man? I passionately hope it is the latter.

I pray that Our Lord gives you the compassion and wisdom to reach a just and humane settlement. Otherwise, Arne, a valuable human life will be lost and John's many friends and supporters will be devastated. And all those who could have prevented this will have to face their conscience and will be called to a higher reckoning.  I am not only concerned for John but for everyone involved, on both sides, in this agonising situation.

Yours in Christ, FJD

Dear Arne,

Welcome to the Sabbath. I expect that, like me, you will have to make do with an online service today.

I hope your pastor’s words inspire in you a full appreciation of Jesus’s loving and compassionate message. And I hope this will spur you into action regarding John Shepherd, who is now in the seventh day of his hunger strike.

Please do the Christian thing, Arne, and bring about a resolution fair to both sides. If you save John’s life it will be the most important thing you have ever done, and you will be blessed.

Yours in Christ, FJD (June 2020)

Dear Arne,

I hope this message finds you and your family safe and well.

Over the years you've suffered a string of brickbats from John Shepherd, so he has hardly endeared himself to you. However, he has felt a profound sense of injustice about the way he has been treated. I'm not saying that excuses some of his harsher strictures but it does explain them. I feel it was a mistake to ignore him for so long.

It is important to remember there is another side to John, one which you have not seen. He is sociable and affable with a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. People consider him sincere, candid and honest. I have not seen much of him since he returned to London several years ago. But once every 3 or 4 weeks we would get together to walk some of London's scenic green spaces. I found him a thoughtful and kind walking companion. He is also clearly someone of conviction and courage. So when we talk about John we refer to an admirable and very worthwhile person. 

You took a big step last year by meeting him. For a time it looked as if a fair compromise might be reached. But it was not to be and so we are back in an extremely dangerous situation. John is now on day 5 of the hunger strike and, to judge from yesterday's conversation, with an unshakeable resolve to continue to the end. Unless things change, he will undoubtedly die, homeless and destitute.

You are in a position, Arne, where you can save a life. This places a huge responsibility on you but it also gives you the opportunity to do something truly good. So I trust you will not harden your heart and that you will heed the wise words of St Paul quoted above. ["Charity never faileth"] But even more, I hope you will act in the spirit of Our Saviour and show love, compassion and empathy towards John. I realise this is asking you to summon up a massive amount of patience and magnanimity. I sincerely pray you can achieve it, Arne. But do it not only for John, but also for yourself. Spare yourself future regret from the thought that you could have preserved a precious life but failed to do so.

For my part, I view what is happening with the deepest dread and horror. I have found it all immensely stressful and spiritually draining. 

Arne, I pray that you do the Christian thing.

Yours in Christ, FJD (June 2020)

Dear Arne,

Good morning. By the time you read this on June 1st, John Shepherd will have started his final hunger strike. He has not told me where it will be carried out but he has confided the strategy it will follow.

Since I received your email I have yet again tried to persuade John to abandon his fast to the death, unfortunately without success. I, and his many other friends, have offered him financial help and accommodation if he calls off his campaign. He has rejected this on the grounds his action is against Marriott who he says should compensate him. He said he doesn't want to scrounge off his friends. I told him he might be entitled state welfare benefits but he refuses to scrounge off the state and tax payers. He is utterly determined to see this through to the bitter end. He does not want to die but he is not afraid of dying. Should he pass away then there will almost certainly be a coroner's enquiry and possibly one by the police as the circumstances are so extreme. So this dreadful matter will rumble on.

I really must beg you, Arne, to make John an offer that would put an end to this dreadful situation. You have met him and you must surely know that he is an honest man and a person of integrity. He can't expect all that he wants but on the other hand a respectable amount should be suggested. You told him in Bethesda that you wanted a conclusion that was fair to both sides. So please deliver on this now. It can be done without prejudice, Marriott not accepting that it has done anything legally wrong, and John will end his public criticisms of you and your company..

You can save a valuable life Arne, so please don't miss this opportunity. You did the big thing, the right thing, before. Please do likewise at this juncture. Otherwise throughout your life you will have a nagging feeling that you should have acted in a more compassionate and humane way.

Please bring a ray of kindness and humanity to the bleak and troubling times we are going through now. You will be blessed for it.

Yours in Christ, FJD (May 31, 2020)

Dear Arne,

I hope you are now much better after your brush with cancer.

John Shepherd has forwarded the last two emails you sent him plus his replies.I see from the correspondence that he has pointed out various factual inaccuracies in what you wrote. I trust you have taken these on board.

I hate to be involved in a situation like this which is enormously stressful and emotionally painful. But I must help John as he has been a valued friend. He is a good man who should not be in this desperate plight.

Of course you are not the originator of the problems John encountered in Bangkok and John may not have always pursued his cause in a judicious manner. But there can be little doubt that there is some justification for his complaints.

It is in your power, Arne, to resolve this existential crisis in a way (I quote your words to John) that is fair to both sides. I implore you to pursue a compromise. Otherwise you will have to live with the knowledge that you failed to act when you had the chance. I would not want you to be in that situation.

John is utterly determined start his hunger strike on June 1st. Nothing I and his other close friends say will dissuade him. Time is short.

I hope you will be guided by the loving spirit of Our Saviour.

Yours in Christ, FJD (May 2020)