ali's Corner. [Was Jesus at Chick-Fil-A Yesterday?]

"Everything inside of me
believes that if Jesus had
walked the streets of America
yesterday,
Dining at a Chick-Fil-A 
would not have been 
on His agenda."

Yesterday as I debated
whether or not to jump in
my car and drive to the nearest
Chick-Fil-A,
where many of my close
friends and family were
attending,
I remained hesitant.

I asked myself what my true reason

for going would be.

And I honestly could not come up

with a single reason that settled right

with my heart.

Oh, I came up with plenty of

possible reasons:

1. Support for a Christian business,

devoted to encouraging and living out

true Biblical principles

2.  Standing up for my Christian values

and the Biblical marriage, as well as

showing people I am not afraid to do so.

3.  Something about first amendment rights/political [blah]

And if I'm being honest,

4. To make myself feel better for how 

people have attacked my faith,

my beliefs, and my values.

and

5. If I didn't go, I may look like a coward

Christian with a weak faith

in front of my LGBT friends.

But none of these reasons,

even if bonded all together,

held its own against 

the resistance in my heart.

"I thought about what Jesus

might have to say about all of this."

Well, I actually don't know what Jesus

would have said yesterday,

but I do know what 

He has already said.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." -Colossians 3:12-14

I take that verse and use it
as a background,
then I veil the verse with an
image of each Chick-Fil-A
restaurant yesterday.

Can I still see the verse clearly
through the images of the
drive-thrus and wrap-around lines?

Does it still hold truth and
were these qualities demonstrated
yesterday?

I can't speak for all,

but I'm sure most people who went to Chick-Fil-A

yesterday were probably very loving

and had good intentions.

In fact, some of my closest

friends and family that I love dearly

attended yesterday.

And these are some of the

most loving and caring people I know!

But I'm honestly not interested in

checking the motives of each individual

Chick-Fil-A attendee, in fact, 

"I'm more so interested in

what kinds of messages

we are sending to our

brothers and sisters in the LGBT community."

"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:2

Of the people who attended,
most all attended for different reasons.

Whatever the reasons, I had to ask myself:
do I honestly and wholeheartedly

believe that these qualities 

of Christ spoken in Colossians
were exerted through

the actions of Christians yesterday?

No, I truly don't.

If I did, I don't think

Jesus would have skipped out.

In fact,

I kind of feel like going would have

a counterproductive effect

on God's true mission in this world.

I'm not sure if standing up for

the truth we believe in 

in that way

was the way God would promote.

Don't get me wrong,

if our grace outweighs our truth,

we really don't get anywhere.

"But in the same way,

if our truth outweighs our grace,

we really don't get anywhere either."

Jesus was and is the perfect 

balance of grace and truth.

He is no more graceful 

then truthful,

nor is He more truthful

than graceful.

So really,

I'm not worried about

Chick-Fil-A going under

because of the recent

occurrences with the possibility

to hurt their business.

If they are truly living out

Biblical principles

and living as holy sacrifices

pleasing to Christ,

I am 100% confident

that God will bless them

for their obedience.

And I'm not worried about

my own hurt feelings 

and the ways I feel I've been

offended because of my beliefs.

"All of this hesitance,

All of this resistance,

is because I think of the people

it seems we are fighting against."

Correct me if I'm wrong,

but many people I've talked with

from the LGBT community

aren't looking for us to 

"change" our beliefs.

After all, if we claim Christianity,

who could rightfully asks us to 

abandon what we base the

foundation for our faith on?

"No, I believe what they are 

looking for is acceptance."

Love.

And to rid their daily

deliverance

of judgement,

anger,

hate,

and 

malice.

Isn't this what God asks of us, too?

And isn't this what everyone desires?

To love and be loved in return?

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building other up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." - Ephesians 4:29-31

Along with this kind of love,
I truly do believe that we,
as Christians, should absolutely defend our faith
and speak the truth we have come to know.

"However I don't know

if by supporting Chick-Fil-A

and what they stand for

in such multitude

speaks in the way Jesus 

would have us speak about it."

Really, I'm saying

I don't know how.

I don't know how to be

graceful and truthful

at the same time

and have the same amount of each.

Because when one outweighs

the other, it results in 

hurt feelings and 

we risk possible

abandonment of our beliefs.

"The only true way to 

be sure, is to draw close to

the one who created us."

Ask Him to empty us

of ourselves

and to fill us with what

He would have us filled with.

Ask Him to show us how

to love each other.

Because, honestly, 

I don't think we truly know how.

Let's trust that His plan for this
world is good.
Let's trust that He loves us
and has no intention of
leaving us or forsaking us.

"And let's ask Him
to show us how to love."


"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God." - 1 John 4:7