Facebook has not been redeemed for me just yet... And this morning was another reminder: My heart grieved as I witnessed a deluge of Christian blog posts condemning Christians who ate at Chick-Fil-A on Wednesday to show their support for heterosexual marriage.
The comments ranged from smug disapproval such as "I will go to Chick-Fil-A again but..." to far-fetched and omniscient such as "Christ was not glorified [on Wednesday]."
Some Christians buy girl scout cookies. Some Christians participate in March of Dimes. Some Christians build houses for low-income families. Some Christians participate in car washes to raise funds for mission trips. Some Christians eat at certain restaurants on a certain night for fundraisers. Some Christians buy Breast Cancer Awareness shirts. Some Christians walk in Relay for Life. Some Christians raise awareness for emotionally disturbed teenage girls.
And when a Christian participates in an event to show their support for a cause--or makes any other life choice--whether his or her heart is pure before God, only God knows.
Why does this particular choice, to collectively eat at Chick-Fil-A, merit such reproach?
It unsettles me. I agree with central sentiment that ran through majority of the posts: the Christian gospel is not ultimately about homosexual marriage or any other political cause.
But I propose that it is not about girl scout cookies, building houses, breast cancer awareness or disturbed teenage girls either. Christians who support such causes, however, don't seem to be as nearly persecuted as the ones who ate at Chick-Fil-A by their fellow brethren.
When a Christian purchases girl scout cookies, she believes it is good to support our local community. When a Christian builds a house with Habitat for Humanity or care for her peer who cuts herself, she takes on God's heart for the oppressed and the needy. Wearing a breast cancer awareness shirt may lead to conversations about sin, disease, death, and redemption. In every choice, a Christian presents himself as an agent of redemption to this hopelessly distorted world. In every choice, he affirms what it means to be truly human, proclaims that true restoration of beauty, justice, relationships is possible, and actualizes Kingdom of God on earth.
Likewise, I suggest that supporting Chick-Fil-A may demonstrate a deeper conviction, such as that being made a male or a female has profound moral implications for humanity.
Has that conviction become so contemptible for evangelicals?
I am not sure what grieves me more--the self-righteous blog posts, the dissension among the Church universal, the ugly sense of disunity that we offer to the dying world, or the loss of God's vision for true manhood and womanhood among the evangelicals.
No, food will not commend us to God. No, I did not participate in the Chick-Fil-A event on Wednesday. But I don't believe my brothers and sisters who ate there did something worthy of my condemnation. If they preach the gospel out of envy, strife, and selfish ambition (Phil 1:15-18), if they think they are already perfect (Phil 3:15), I trust that the same God who elected them will also reveal these things to them and sanctify them. Beyond enjoying their Chick-Fil-A sandwich, I trust that they will engage the homosexual marriage supporters around them and speak truth in genuine love. Eating Chick-Fil-A or not, I pray and trust that true Christians everywhere will commend themselves in every way, in purity, in genuine love, by truthful speech, through slander and praise, treated as impostors yet true (2 Cor. 6:4-10).
I pray that we give other professing Christians a benefit of the doubt for the choices they make, unless they are blatantly sinning. Our Lord did:
"John answered, 'Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.' But Jesus said to him, 'Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.'" (Luke 9:49-50)
May Satan flee before our unity. May we not become embittered against the brethren.
On a side note, I am thankful that Dan Cathy had the courage to speak up about his unpopular view, and I am thankful for the number that showed up on Wednesday.
Most of all, in the midst of my grieving, I am very thankful for how true these words are:
The Church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish,
Is with her to the end:
Though there be those who hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against both foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.
’Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment