Remember the Sabbath

The other day I had a craving that I am sure you can relate to. I woke up, and the thought of a crispy chicken sandwich flooded my mind. My appetite wasn't calling out for a simple, generic chicken sandwich. It wanted a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A...a medium waffle fry and a medium sweet tea also.

Unfortunately it was Sunday.

According to its website, "Chick-fil-A is the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant in the nation," but it is only open six days a week, as opposed to its competitors who are open everyday. In 2007, Chick-fil-A reported sales of $2.64 billion, but one can only imagine what this amount would be if they were open on Sundays. However, this is an issue on which Truett Cathy; founder, Chairman, and CEO; will not compromise his beliefs.

Since its creation in 1967, Chick-fil-A has remained committed to keeping its doors locked on Sundays, and this is a principle that nearly every American knows and respects. In many of its restaurants, one can find a timeline of the Chick-fil-A story as well as interesting facts about its scholarship programs, community involvement, mission, and commitment to closing on Sundays. To Truett Cathy, Sunday is a special day that is reserved for certain tasks; therefore, Chick-fil-A closes to allow its employees the opportunity to worship as they please and spend time with their families.

One cannot deny that this business model is based loosely on God's Commandment to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. At the onset, Chick-fil-A placed Christianity and family values at the heart of its business operations, and this attitude has carried over into other ventures. As previously mentioned, Chick-fil-A is involved in many charities, gives thousands every year to send its employees to college with scholarships, and sponsors every sporting event for the Big 12 and Southeast Conferences.

Chick-fil-A's mission statement is "to be America's best quick-service restaurant," but they have given new meaning to the word "best." Best not only means maintaining superior taste of its food, quality of service, and overall atmosphere. It now encompasses a deeper mindset that involves service in the community and a genuine respect for its employees and their spiritual lives. Because of this, it has established itself as a pioneer in the quick-service chicken restaurant industry and the fast-food industry as a whole.

Too bad I can't get that chicken sandwich on Sunday.

Faith on the Field

Today it is common to see athletes professing their faith on the field and the court, but Tim Tebow has taken this to a new level. Some take knee in the end zone to pray after scoring a touchdown, others point to the sky as they step on home plate after hitting a home run, and others cross their chests before shooting a free throw. All of these examples are designed to give glory to God, but I have always found myself questioning the motives of these athletes.

While preaching about Paul’s letter to the Philippians, David McQueen, the preacher at Beltway Church, used Tebow as an example because he wrote “Phil. 4:13” on his eye-black before the University of Florida’s football game against the University of Alabama. In its perfect form, eye-black is applied in a strip on the upper cheek to prevent stadium lights or the sun from reflecting into a player’s eyes, but Tebow found a way to make it a billboard for his faith.

It is difficult to question the motives of this 6’3”, 240-pound quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner because eye-black is not the only way that he professes his faith. A recent special on ESPN described Tebow’s passionate faith in detail as it followed him on a mission trip to Asia to get a firsthand look at the life of this quarterback off the field. Many will also note how Tebow always humbly acknowledges God’s power in his speeches and post-game interviews.

I find myself critical of on-the-field evangelists because, as an athlete, I am not one to take a knee or point to the sky after making a big play. Some may call it humility, but I simply never felt comfortable doing it. I pray before each game, but I do it standing behind the bench or in the pre-game huddle. My failure to understand the purpose of expressions of faith on the field should not discount its significance in the world today. Because of Tebow’s willingness to put “Phil. 4:13” on his cheeks, some young kid now has a good role model to look up to, and some grown man dusted off his Bible to see what Phil. 4:13 was:

I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.