Everyone We See Has a Story

Click-fila-ACheck out this video produced by a company I really respect, Chick-fil-A. I think it’s very moving. It reminds me of the divine appointments God gives us daily. It also encourages me to pray, even if briefly, for many people I see in passing and do not know. This I do know—God created them, and loves them, and desires them to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). God has appointed one or more of His children, within their sphere of influence, to reach out and touch the lives of these people.

Here is a portion of a Wikipedia entry that offers some insights on the company responsible for this video.

T. Cathy at Click-fil-A's headquartersChick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy is a devout Christian who has taught Sunday School for over 51 years and whose religious beliefs permeate the company to this day. The company's official statement of corporate purpose says that the business exists "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A." The chain invests heavily in community services (especially for children and teenagers) and scholarships. Cathy's beliefs are also responsible for one of the chain's distinctive features: All Chick-fil-A locations (company-owned and franchised, whether in a mall or freestanding) are closed on Sundays.

Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and directing our attention to things more important than our business. If it took seven days to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be in some other line of work. Through the years, I have never wavered from that position.

Chick-fil-A has promoted religious groups via toys and CDs included in children's meals, much as movie studios promote new movies via McDonald's Happy Meal toys. These have ranged from including toys from the Christian television series VeggieTales in children's meals to including Financial Peace for Kids children's books by Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey and CDs from the Christian radio program Adventures in Odyssey, as children's meal incentives. The last show mentioned is produced by the radio division of Focus on the Family, and typically heard on Christian radio stations.

T. Cathy with a childChick-fil-A and Focus on the Family also have a history of cross-promotion. Chick-fil-A has also sponsored meetings by the group All Pro Dad; All Pro Dad is a group with affiliations with Family First, a non-profit organization based out of Tampa, Florida started by Mark Merrill and Tony Dungy Chick-fil-A has also directly sponsored other religious campaigns. One of the groups sponsored by Chick-fil-A is Athletes in Action, a sports missionary arm of the Campus Crusade for Christ.

Another link between Chick-fil-A and religious groups includes promotion of National Bible Week. S. Truett Cathy is the chair of the National Bible Week Committee.

Truett Cathy is also heavily involved in the WinShape Foundation, a non-profit organization which was started in 1984 with its goal to "shape winners" by offering summer camps, retreats, foster care, and other services.

Photo by Khara Woods on Unsplash

Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) is the author of over sixty books and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries