Woman Alive’s deputy editor, Jemimah Wright, reflects on Gillian Anderson’s playful “Chief Encouragement Officer” role for Marks & Spencer, and what it reveals about the transformative power of encouragement in a critical age.
Have you heard about Marks & Spencer’s new CEO? Its not what you think…actress Gillian Anderson has been appointed their Chief Encouragement Office. This is, of course, a campaign for Marks & Spencer, but it’s perhaps not a bad idea.
In the video, Gillian is seen in a business setting, with the gravitas of an actual CEO, calling out ‘I love your outfit’ or ‘You look great!’ to other women in stylish (M&S) outfits as she passes by. At one point she is seen shouting up to another woman in a building above her on the street to compliment her.
READ MORE: Six Christian books to encourage you in tough times
I think we’d be lying if we didn’t agree it’s wonderful getting an encouraging compliment.
I think we’d be lying if we didn’t agree it’s wonderful getting an encouraging compliment. Just this morning a two friends said they liked my outfit, and I loved it – and tried hard to just say thank you, not ‘oh, this old thing…’
Some people give encouragement freely and easily, like Gillian Anderson, but for many of us, it feels a little awkward or embarrassing, to engage a stranger to admire the pretty pattern of their pantaloons.
My dad, now in heaven, believed strongly in encouragement. For him it was often a way in to share the good news of Jesus, as, possibly unsurprisingly, people are much more receptive to the gospel after just being encouraged. This may sound like the encouragement was empty, with an ulterior motive, but the compliments were always true – and a conversation was opened up.
As Christians, we are being encouraged by God the whole way through the Bible
As Christians, we are being encouraged by God the whole way through the Bible. For example, Isaiah 40:28 – 31 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
The ultimate encouragement is not about what we are wearing, or that our hair looks good. It’s that we know how the story ends! It’s that we have a Saviour – our sins can be forgiven! There is life after death!
READ MORE: ‘I am a pastor’s wife and have struggled with depression, so I decided to use social media to encourage those who also are feeling weak.’
The root of the word ‘encourage’ is the Old French word corage (courage), which derives from the Latin cor, meaning “heart”. It entered Middle English as encoragen in the early 15th century, combining the prefix en- (“make, put in”) with courage to mean “make strong, hearten” or “put heart into”. We are putting strength into other’s hearts when we encourage.
One of the most compelling figures in the early Church is Barnabas, whose name literally means “son of encouragement.” He is not the loudest voice in the room, nor the most obviously impressive, but he is the one who sees potential where others see problems. In Acts 9:26–27, when Paul is still viewed with suspicion, Barnabas steps in, vouches for him, and changes the course of his story. Encouragement, here, is not vague positivity, it is courageous, costly, and rooted in truth.
READ MORE: Encouraging, blocking and taking fasts: This is what I believe @JesusOfficial would do if he had an Instagram account
Which is what separates it from the kind of compliments we toss around without much thought. “Love that for you,” we say, half-looking at our phones. Or worse, we slip into sycophancy, the art of saying whatever is most pleasing in the moment, usually to gain something in return. Sycophancy flatters, but it hollows things out. It bends the truth to serve itself. Encouragement, by contrast, is anchored in reality. It requires attention and names something real and good.
The Apostle Paul writes, “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11), as though this is simply what a healthy community does. Not occasionally, not when it’s convenient, but as a way of being. Encouragement is not an add-on to the Christian life; it is part of its fabric. It reflects something of the God who sees, who calls out, who speaks life into being.
And perhaps that’s why Gillian Anderson’s turn in this campaign lands with more weight than we might expect. Beneath the glossy humour is a reminder that people do not thrive on criticism alone. They need to be seen. They need to be named. They need, quite simply, to be encouraged. Like Gillian, and as Paul said, put some courage in someone’s heart today.
By the way, you look great.
No comments yet