Our black lab, Obi, was a great dog, but adventurous. Every squirrel needed to be chased, every hole in the ground held a mystery, and every fence needed to be jumped.
One of those fences was just a little too tall and he opened up a festering wound on his front side. Two pills a day for five days and the infection would be gone, the vet told us.
The problem was giving him the pill. Obi would hold it in his throat, and then unceremoniously deposit it on the rug a few minutes later.
So we decided to wrap the pill up in a piece of bacon, which was his favorite taste of all time. It worked. He gulped down the swine-wrapped pill and after a few days and a pound of bacon, the infection was healed.
Sneaking in the gospel
Our little trick with Starbuck reminds me of how some companies with Christian-based values are trying to sneak the gospel message in with their products.
Take Forever 21. The fast-growing company offers low-cost, “fast-fashion” clothing and an unspoken cool. Go to any mall where they have a presence and you’ll see their bright yellow bags hanging on the arms of teenage girls. But what you might also notice discreetly printed on the bottom of those bags is the Christian’s favorite bible verse of promise and hope: “John 3:16.” No text. Just the reference.
Most teenage girls will never notice the verse as they slip the skimpy clothes out of the box and onto their frames.
According to the company, the inscription is “a demonstration of the owners' faith."
The owners of the privately-held company, Don and Jin Sook Chang, are committed Christians. The couple emigrated from Korea in 1981 and built an empire using hard work, thrift and a sense for fashion. They now have sales of $1.7 billion, with 450 stores around the world, including a 90,000 square foot mega-store on Times Square. And many of their goods are actually manufactured in the U.S.
You would think it is difficult to be an outspoken Christian in the midst of the unseemly garment world, with the constantly swirling charges of sweat shops, rip-off designs and questionable teen fashion trends.
But I’m mostly intrigued with those bags. Does that scripture reference really make a difference? It’s clever – even Jesus-like - because customers have to discover it. It’s not in anyone’s face.
Other approaches to taking a stand
There are other well-known Christian-run companies that express faith in various ways. California Burger chain In-N-Out prints the John 3:16 reference on drink cups, Nahum 1:7 on the burger bags, Rev. 3.20 on the fry bags. Cool. But really. Does it do any good?
How about this approach by Sierra Trading Post, a large mail-order company that outfits outdoor enthusiasts? They print a bold mission statement inside every one of their millions of catalogs. “Our business ethics must be consistent with the faith of the owners in Jesus Christ and His teachings. We invite you to write our founder and president, Keith Richardson, if what we do does not match what we believe.”
Richardson admits, “This lean amount of space is not intended to proselytize or offend. Practically speaking, no one would change their faith-views based upon two sentences. On the contrary, the purpose is to hold me accountable for upholding Jesus' injunction to treat others the way I want to be treated. It is also my way of thanking God for the blessing of Sierra Trading Post.”I like it.
There are other retailers who send a clear Christian message. Stroll past a Chick-Fil-A on a Sunday and you know their stand, because they aren't open then. Interstate Batteries is currently running television commercials about finding love and changing the world. Our own Howard Butt, Jr. (founder of The High Calling) is an owner of the privately-held H.E.B grocery chain, and his faith is expressed through funding of the Foundations for Laity Renewal, Laity Lodge, The High Calling, summer camps for youth, and other charities.
It seems that each of these believers has a different approach, from hiding the pill in the bacon-burger, like In-N-Out, to good deeds, like Mr. Butt, to just laying it all out, like Sierra Trading Post.
I’m not sure if there is a best way to talk about faith as a business owner. Sadly, many choose silence.
What do you think? Care to comment?
7 comments so far - add yours here:
Hobby Lobby, the national craft and hobby chain, plays background Christian music in their stores. If someone doesn't like it, they can go somewhere else.
Great post.
I just heard how Feorever 21 gave 100% of their profits to Japan from all their online sales for one day.
By putting their money where their heart is I think this spoke HUGE volumes for the cause of Christ!
Thanks for provoking us to think yet again..great post as always David!
Companies that take on the principle of faith are refreshing. However I think for some it can be just a business strategy in some cases. Look at Forever 21 - yes the print John 3:16 on their bags. Which is a great message, but they do not back up the principle with actions. Take the clothing they sell, it can be quite revealing and immodest for a young lady to wear.
Is this reflective of Christ's message?
Psalm 19:14 states
'Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer"
Our words and actions need to match up. Words fall may sound good yet wihtout action they fall short. Actions speak of what is really in the heart.
David, it was obi that had the infection and we used lunchmeat or canned dog food to get the pills down. Bacon would be to hard to wrap a pill in. Starbuck had the porcupine quills, broken tooth from that huge frisbee, the dog fight where he almost ate Ginger, and he got skunked.
I stand corrected. I guess it was lunchmeat! Bacon is far too expensive...and I'm far too cheap to waste it on a dog.
Like Lori, I wince that John 3:16 is matched with skimpy clothing.
But.
Heading down the trail of criticizing a person or business because their standards aren't "high enough" to share the Gospel is an unfruitful path. Unless someone claims Christ and also indulges in clear immorality which defames His name, measurement of individual standards tends to lead to legalism and all its injury.
A recent post featured at The High Calling debated Christian businesses openly touting faith. I don't think I left a comment, because several efforts didn't seem to adequately word my alternate viewpoint. I don't like the idea that business remain silent about faith lest they fail to live up to it.
I've heard some Christians forsake a bumper isthcus simply because their driving isn't good enough. I'm not saying we all need an isthcus, but I put one on both my bumper and rearview mirror to help improve the courtesy of my driving. What if more businesses followed the example set by Sierra Trading Post, inviting criticism as a means to be held accountable? It seems to me that the result is both a good witness and better business, without any claim of being perfect Christians.
Interesting question. I wonder if any Forever 21 shopper was ever converted by the shopping bag. And I wonder about their skimpy clothes even though the company is very charitable. With a Christian company selling a secular product,it is a dilemma. If you are too overt, you'll turn off non-Christians. If you are too subtle, you're not making much difference. Chick Fil A probably comes closest to straddling the line. They are known for Christian values but their food is so good, non-believers love it too. I think doing things like giving a free sandwich when you bring in a church bulletin is a clever idea (though I suppose a non-believer could be offended.) You could also legitimately argue that you do not need to use your company for evangelizing but do it through other methods.
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