7
SPIRITUAL
DISCIPLINES
FOR THE WORKPLACE
by Victor M. Parachin
S
7
PIRITUAL DISCIPLINE means more The young man’s name was Harry Self- Cathy grew up in the deeply segregated
than breaking away to pray, study ridge. At 30 he became a partner in South. Yet, as he was developing his chain
the Bible, and reflect. The disci- Field’s company. Later he went on to of restaurants, Cathy was also willing to
plines of spirituality can and must found the famous Selfridge Department defy social conventions by employing
be brought to bear at our place of work, Store in London, England. African Americans. He did this long before
where most people spend 40 or more the advent of the civil rights movement.
hours every week. Here are seven spiritual
The Spiritual Discipline of
In 1948 he hired Eddie J. White, a 12-year-
disciplines to apply in the workplace.
Respect Toward All Others
old African-American youth. “You have to
Treating other persons in the work- understand the times,” says White. “This
The Spiritual Discipline of
place with fairness and equality is anoth- was the time of segregation. But he was
the Golden Rule
er important spiritual discipline. We must like a second father to me. He didn’t even
The place of work would be more har- exhibit an honest respect toward all oth- think about it.”
monious and people would be more ful- ers regardless of their race, religion, color, White was the oldest of seven children
filled if every worker lived by Matthew gender, or ethnic origin. We must view in a poor family, and he was planning to
7:2: “Do to others what you would have each one of our work colleagues as our drop out of high school to work to help
them do to you” (NIV). Simply para- neighbor. In biblical terms we are com- support the family. “That didn’t fly with
phrased, the Golden Rule tells us, “Treat manded to “love your neighbor as your- Mr. Cathy,” he says. “He came and talked
others the way you want to be treated.” self” (Leviticus 19:18, NIV). to my parents and arranged for me to be
One who applied this spiritual discipline A man who exercises the spiritual dis- able to work and stay in school.”
at his workplace was Marshall Field, the cipline of respect toward others is S. Truett
legendary founder of the Chicago depart- Cathy, founder and CEO of Chick-fil-A
The Spiritual Discipline of
ment store that bears his name. restaurants, which today number more
Self-Respect
Field was once approached by a fright- than 1,000 across 38 states. Born on Along with the spiritual discipline of
ened but courageous youth whose job March 14, 1921, in rural southern Georgia, respect for others, we must also practice
was package wrapper in the shipping
department. The young man pleaded
with Field for an opportunity to do more
important work. He explained he had
asked his supervisor but had been turned
down three times. The store owner was
impressed by the youth’s initiative and
his desire to learn other aspects of retail-
ing, so he investigated.
“Why don’t you advance him?” Field
asked the supervisor.
“Because he’s the best wrapper I
have,” the man replied. “I need him and
want him to stay on that job.”
Field, well known for his understand-
ing ways of treating customers and
employees, gave the boy his promotion.
EVANGEL • SEP 2009 25
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