Break My Heart For What Breaks Yours

I have been thinking about this Chick-Fil-A thing for awhile now.

Yep, it is one of those posts.

I feel that both sides of the story have failed.

Someone asked the CEO of Chick-Fil-A his thoughts on gay marriage.  Big shocker that he is against it.  Was anyone really surprised?  The guy owns a company that closes on Sunday (on a day where I suddenly crave it for some reason) because of his religious beliefs so why would anyone be surprised that he is against gay marriage? 

For the people who reacted with such hatred against him-I am confused.  He answered a question and used his constitutional right of freedom of speech.  If you no longer want to support his company, fine.  But, why all the hatred?

Now here is where I take on the other side.  While I was glad to see so many people come out and support Chick-Fil-A, I am not sure they all came out for the same reason.  Was it to support a man expressing his freedom of speech?  Or was it in support of the hatred of homosexuals?

Judging from what I read on facebook and twitter, it was the latter.

I am a Christian.  I believe the Bible to be true and I believe that it says pretty clearly in scripture that homosexuality is a sin.  Not just in the Old Testament where some things are left to culture differences, but also in the New Testament.  It says it flat out in Romans 1 that it is wrong.

Yet...

Before we get on our high horse and say, "See-I told you!" it also goes on to mention the people who "have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity."  The ones who "are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice."  The "gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful."  The ones who "are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless." 

Funny enough, after all of those descriptions (which I am completely guilty of), it says, "you, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself because you who pass judgment do the same thing."

I could keep going with quoting that section of scripture, but I would pretty much keep typing all of Romans.  Open up your Bible, your Kindle, your app and read it.  Pretty humbling stuff.

Every time I hear the following song, it brings me to my knees in embarrassment of my behavior.  For those who do not have the time to listen to it (which I suggest you take the time to do so), I have also written out the lyrics below.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipwEtvWL_3c

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in Your name, but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You, but they're tripping over me
Always looking around, but never looking up, I'm so double minded
A plank-eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners, open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy, help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

Jesus, friend of sinners, the one whose writing in the sand, made the righteous turn away
And the stone fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these, let the memory of Your mercy
Bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs, cross over the lines and loved like You did?

You love every lost cause, you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame, they're the reason that you came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

Cause You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

I keep struggling with finding the fine line between holding strong to my beliefs and knowing the truth, but also loving the people around me.  Finding compassion for them instead of judgment.

I am completely the lost cause and the outcast.  Somewhere in my little bubble world, I tend to forget that.  Compared to others, I am doing pretty well.  So well, in fact, that I forget the ugly mess that God saw before Jesus saved me.

When Jesus met those lost causes in scripture, He met their needs and then told them to leave their life of sin.  Why would anyone who is lost want to listen to anything that we say if all they see are our pointing fingers?  And better yet, when they see all of the sins that we are committing to each other without apologizing?

My soul is still hurt from how I was treated at my home church from lies and gossip and slander.  Why were those sins never addressed?  Why is everyone stopping traffic to line up to buy chicken in support of their beliefs, but not lining up at the soup kitchen downtown?

I really do not have the answers.  I just keep praying that my heart breaks for what breaks God's heart.  That it dislikes the sin, but loves the sinner.  That the huge plank in my eye reminds me where I started.