Unless you were living under a rock in July and August, you’re probably aware of the controversy over a certain company that sells chicken. The incident ignited a fire within me, but I couldn’t wrap my brain around it all. I couldn’t sleep, either. I would wake up in the middle of the night with a giant lump in my stomach.
This isn’t a post about whether or not to support the company. It isn’t a political post, either. I wish I could sum my feelings up as easily as that. I wish I did fall in a particular category. I wish I could say I’m on one side or another and be done with it.
But I can’t.
I have morals and beliefs. I know what the Church says. I also have empathy.
And while I lean more one way than the other, I can’t help but feel disheartened by the whole episode.
I happened to pass a Chick-fil-a on “Support Chick-fil-a Day.” Before I realized how crowded it would be, I even considered stopping in for a milkshake and a show of support. The line was wrapped completely around the parking lot and extended a few blocks down the main road. At first I was proud. Yay for standing up for what you believe in! Yay for freedom of speech!
And then I thought about all the people who were ostracized. I felt sad for them. How awful must they feel on this day in particular, but every other day, too.
I drove home conflicted inside. I read some awesome reflections about the whole debacle from both sides. I prayed. I thought deep thoughts and prayed more. I went around in circles for many, many nights.
One night as I prayed for and pondered about truth and justice, a thought came to me. What would Jesus have done? I was never one for wearing those WWJD bracelets, but this was a serious and legitimate question. Would He have been standing in that long line?
Of course not.
The only way Jesus would have been there were if He were buying food to give to the poor. Jesus would not have gotten caught up in the media frenzy. Instead, He would have been out preaching the Good News to all of us sinners. He would have been visiting the sick. He would have been clothing the naked. He would have been giving food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty. He’d be counseling. And forgiving. Comforting. Praying.
It dawned on me that perhaps I should be doing the same. I’m not saying we shouldn’t fight for what we believe in. I’m not saying we should give up opportunities to take a stand. I’m just saying that Jesus is calling us to do more. As soon as I started looking at things in this new light, the sleep came back, the lump in my stomach went away.
It’s time for all of us, no matter which side of the fence we are on, to start modeling our lives after Jesus. What would Jesus do? He’d love. He’d show compassion. He’d give of himself to others. He’d pray. He’d follow God’s law. He’d think before He spoke. He would spend more time caring for the sick, the poor, the imprisoned than worrying about whether or not to eat at one restaurant or another.
Maybe you disagree with me. That’s okay. We don’t have to agree on everything to still love one another, respect one another, learn from one another. But I encourage you to really think about your life and your actions. Are you really representing Jesus? Are you really doing what He wants you to do? Are you really spending your hours, your breath, your energy on things that help others in the ways that Jesus helped others?
We could all put a little more effort in to serving and loving others like Jesus. I’m positive that we could build a better world just by asking ourselves “What would Jesus do?” when we find ourselves in troubling circumstances. I know He’s urging me to step away from the drama and leave the politics and the media behind. He’s urging me to make time in my life to serve the least of us. Is He nudging you to do the same?
Life happens when we model our lives after Jesus.
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Thank you so much for your honesty. This isn’t a political issue, though it was made to be by so many. My take – eat at Chick-fil-a or if the company offended you in any way, then don’t. As an American we have the freedom to do what we want in a situation such as this – and that’s exactly how it should be.
I think in all facets of life we would be much better off if we did as you did in this situation. When we are feeling angry or upset we should take a step back and reflect. People tend to make Jesus a controversial figure. To me He is the opposite of that. He loved sinners, He cared for the poor, He wasn’t for gloating or showboating. He loved. I think I would be better off if I took time to remember that.
Thank you so much for sharing.
I like your take on this. It IS hard to consistently model our lives after Jesus when we get caught up in debates, politics, rhetoric, and really, drama. I started distancing myself from politics around the time I started growing deeper in my faith. I realized that it wasn’t worth the rise in my blood pressure every time I heard something I disagreed with when the political issues of our day are only temporary. I’d much rather spend my time growing in my faith. That does mean taking certain stances on certain issues, but for the purpose of ultimately leading me closer to Jesus and closer to Heaven. (And for the record, it’s not that I ignore politics altogether, I just try to approach it with less emotion than before.)
And when I first read your title, I thought this post might be about going vegan! So you may get some interesting hits on your site. : )
Amen, sister! Preach it! Right there with you…as one whose political beliefs have never fallen neatly into one political party, I found the whole chicken debacle very polarizing and unsettling. I should have taken your approach and made chicken sandwiches to give to homeless folks downtown instead!
Absolutely awesome post.
There I was mentally high-fiving that long line of people and you are absolutely right. WWJD? This is such a great post. What a kind heart you have. Thank you for the comment on my blog. I’m glad it took me to this post and I look forward to reading more.
Though I was angry at people for insinuating that Chick Fil A “hates” gay people (seriously?), something still didn’t sit right with me with how people protested. I think people supported Chick Fil A for a variety of reasons on that day, some valid (free speech), and some I think ate there because they truly believed that Chick Fil A was some kind of sanctuary to avoid liberals or something. It just was weird and uncomfortable.
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