Having
a child on the way has made me pretty introspective about the world into which
this kid is coming. In a world that makes a gangsta rap artist’s Rastafarian enlightened name change into major world news, it seems reasonable to wonder where the “good Christian”
role models are for our soon-to-be newborn. It seems a shame that at the very
same time in the news, we’re seeing an incredibly polarized (thanks JC for the
word choice) debate over the “Christian” values espoused by a prominent chicken sandwich company.
Personally, I think we’re missing the voice of the middle ground in this, and
probably other, issues in the world.
Let
me be clear: I am a Christian. I don’t think that is a fact that is very
hidden. After all, my wife is an ordained Methodist Deacon, which seems to sort
of imply that I’m probably involved in the Methodist church in some way or
another. But let me also be clear about something else: neither I, nor the
Reverend Blakely, hate members of the LGBT community. What seems abundantly clear
to me is that the debate over Chick-fil-a seems to have missed the point. I’m
pretty sure Jesus was incredibly clear as to what the two greatest commandments
were. In my opinion (and please understand this is only MY opinion), loving our
neighbor does not include slurs, hate, or fighting. It seems that loving our
neighbor does mean critically examining the hard issues of life and coming to a
common understanding. Common understanding seems to be lacking in the most
fundamental of ways here.
I’ve
thought long and hard about the issue of a boycott or buying spree out of
support for one group or another and come to the conclusion that loving my
neighbor means staying away from all of that. I will probably continue to buy
food from Chick-fil-a but I’m now a bit more aware of the political
ramifications of my choice. I’m also painfully aware that, yet again, my life
exists in the fishbowl of public scrutiny. I have to admit, today I wanted
nothing more than a large sweet tea from Chick-fil-a but avoided it so that I
didn’t give support one way or another on the debate. I certainly didn’t want
to be seen walking into the local store for fear that students, staff, and
friends may make assumptions about my beliefs based on purchasing a sweet tea.
That
is what I think is a distinct shame about the popular view of American
Christianity. Again, I am a Christian but please don’t think that by knowing
that, you know everything about my beliefs. Some sources say that there are 2.1 billion Christians
in the world today, do you really think they all believe the same thing about
such a contentious issue as the LGBT community? Hmm…probably not so much.
So,
here’s the other thing on my mind this week: the Olympics. The other night the
opening ceremony featured a wonderful moment where the upcoming athletes of
Britain were given the opportunity to carry torches lit from the flame of the
great Olympic torch that traversed the globe. Previous Olympians who saw
something promising in them chose these young folks. There is a heart-warming
moment where the experienced Olympians hug the next generation of competitors.
As I teared up at the passing of the torch (literally and figuratively), I
thought, “this is what life is all about.” As I said before, we’re called to love our neighbors which,
to me, means supporting and lifting up the next generation of our world.
Where does chicken, and LGBT rights, and Snoop Lion come
into all this? I honestly don’t know but, what I do know, is that my child (and
hopefully children someday) will grow up knowing that God loves them as much as
He loves everyone else in this world.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
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