Chik-fil-a or the needy....

Many people I know fall all along the spectrum of the family values, so to speak. I don't intend to debate, or even invite debate on who's "right," but rather to want to encourage those of us who identify ourselves with Christ to think differently.

Earlier today on Facebook I saw this image because of couple friends liked it on "We survived Bush. You will survive Obama" FB page...

Touché, I thought when I saw it. It's true, and oh so sad. So it got me thinking more, and lead me to read this scripture from Matthew 6:1-4:

1“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

As I continued reflect on this event and this scripture I wondered how much money people, presumably mostly Christians, spent yesterday on this appreciation day. I decided to turn to Google for my answer.

Did you know that Chik-fil-A broke their own sales record yesterday with unprecedented sales? Chick-fil-A vice president Steve Robinson said the company won't release sales figures for Wednesday; however if you look their sales figures from last year and figure as Atlanta Business Chronicle journalist, Jacques Couret did, you can say on average $12.8 million in sales on a "normal" day. You're left to only guess how much more than that they sold yesterday. A few are guesimating about $20 million.

Then I began to wonder how much the cost estimate was/is to provide clean water to people all around the world. I went back to the Advent Conspiracy site, which was created by Living Waters International (http://www.water.cc/). It would cost between $5 billion and $21 billion a year to do that. According to them, "At LWI our next $10 million will go where our last $10 million went: to training, consulting and equipping people all over the world to execute the most appropriate, cost-effective integrated water solutions there are and having them teach others to do the same."

Imagine the impact we could have for the truly needy in one day if we decided to give our money to a cause like Living Water International instead of in support of an already successful company. Maybe Chik-Fil-A will consider giving their profits yesterday to an organization, like Living Water International, that is truly serving the needy in this world.

Just some food for thought...

Here's the rest of the Matthew 6:1-4 passage too for further contemplation:
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Maybe tomorrow I'll tackle a thoughtful piece on the constitutional rights...