Amongst all the troubling political, international, financial and storm related news this week, Charlotte Christian Voice is offering you a quick break from all that, and is covering something we can all enjoy and can all relate to. The topic is food, served with some food for thought on the side.
North Carolina, as many know, is based in what some people refer to as the Bible belt. In fact, in the past Charlotte, besides being called “The Queen City,” has also been called the “buckle of the belt” as, at one point, there were more churches per capita, in Charlotte North Carolina, than anywhere else in the US. The buckle shifts, from time to time, and at this point it looks like Tennessee may hold the “buckle” status. Well, all that to say, that often food and faith go hand in hand in this part of the land and no more so than with this part of the country’s beloved Chick-fil-A restaurants.
Often faith and food go hand in hand in this part of the land
In fact, just this week, I heard a person comment that he overheard someone upset with his wife in a Chick-fil-A restaurant, and this person had to question how anyone can be upset in a Chick-fil-A, stating that “when you walk into a Chick-fil-A people need to leave all their troubles at the door” and added that the employees are “as close to meeting an angel as you can get”. Well there is a lot of truth in what that gentleman had to say.
So, it appears to have come as no surprise, to the patrons of a Chick-fil-A in North Carolina, when an announcement was made in the restaurant, for all to hear. The announcement, and the response of the patrons, was all caught on someone’s video camera and has gone viral at this point.
One of the employees takes a moment to announce, to the customers in the restaurant, that one of their employees is about to undergo surgery for cancer and asks patrons if they would pray corporately, right there and then. In unison the entire restaurant, including employees and even patrons in line to order, bow their head in corporate prayer. Below is the prayer, for their employee, said aloud to all the patrons in the restaurant.
“So if you all know her from our dining room, today is a rough day for us. We’re hoping that things will go well. If you’ll bow your heads — and I’m not great at this, but I’m going to do my best,”
“Dear Lord, please protect Ms. Trish as she begins her surgery today. Please give the surgeon a steady hand as they perform the needed surgery on her,” he said. “Please keep everyone in the surgery room at their best with sharp minds and clear heads as they work on her”.
“We need her back here, she is our light. She is a pillar in the community for us. Everybody here loves her so much. Please, please just protect her and get her back here to brighten our days. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
“In Jesus name we pray, Amen”
It was amazing to see, caught on camera, an entire group of people, stopping what they are doing, and taking time to pray.
Chick-fil-A has always been a unique and special place within the fast food industry. Started in 1946, by S. Truett Cathy, who was a devout Southern Baptist, it is now headed up by his son, Dan T. Cathy. The restaurant chain has more than 2,000 restaurants and is operated on a foundation of solid Christian values. These values are personified by all their employees.
The company’s statement of purpose is “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.”
However, Chick-fil-A has not been without controversy for their biblical stance on some issues. There have been mayors and city council members, throughout the States, that have attempted to block Chick-fil-A’s from opening franchises due to their conservative Christian stance on some issues. In many cases it isn’t even the stance of the franchise, but simply the individual personal stances of those in management. However, loyal Chick-fil-A customers almost always turn organized protests, against Chick-fil-A, into extremely profitable days for the franchise by flooding to the restaurant and ordering to show their support. A few years back, when there were people protesting Chick-fil-A, former Governor Huckabee called for a Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. It is estimated sales increased almost 30% that day, from customers wanting to support the restaurant.
It’s rare that a company, nowadays, makes their Christian values such a strong part of the company, as an offering to all those who encounter the company and its employees and, from time to time, stopping all they are doing, in the middle of the workday, to pray for someone in need. It’s a refreshing break from the recent new cycle and breaks are nice.
Next week we will be giving you another break from the stressful news cycle and covering another Christian based restaurant in Charlotte, The King’s Kitchen, an unusual restaurant going about the King’s business in the Queen City.
“Going about the King’s business in the Queen City”
