I love chicken!

The biggest news of the week is obviously Chick-fil-A.  It is amazing the attention this business has received over the last few days.  They have had at least two cities vow to never have their restaurants in their town again.  Really?  Have these people never eaten the sweet goodness of Chick-fil-A chicken?  It's heavenly.
In all seriousness, many people have drawn battle lines over the comments of the CEO of this company.  Christians are flocking (pun intended) to the side of Chick-Fil-A as though it were the new headquarters of evangelical Christianity.  But, should we be surprised by this?  Didn't Jesus say that the world will hate us?  Didn't Paul tell Timothy that there will come a day when men will only hear what their itching ears want to hear?
As Christians, we have to be careful to not get caught up in the political battle that has arisen out these innocent comments (nowhere did he say in the interview that he was anti-gay).  This man was giving an opinion.  He holds to the Biblical view of marriage.  Our country is going down a dangerous path.  Morality is a thin piece of glass that is threatening to break at a given moment.  The values that we once held dear are being replaced by new values.  Values at one time were universal.  For the most part, the country valued the same things.  However, over the last few years, values have shifted from universal to individualistic.  The same values are no longer universally held by all.  The problems that will soon arise out of this will be vast and difficult to overcome.  So, what is the Christian response to this?
We respond just like Dan Cathy did when he was asked his opinion on marriage.  We respond with boldness, courage, and sincerity.  We need to know what we believe first and that is becoming more and more difficult even under the umbrella of Christianity.  We respond with the Gospel.  We respond with the truth of God's Word.  We look at the way the world is going and see it as a bad omen or a pit of despair.  But, have we thought that it may be exactly the way God wants it to go?
Think about it this way: if values become more and more subjective, meaning the individual person defines what their values are, then no one particular group can be prosecuted for their individual beliefs.  This can be dangerous, but it can present opportunities for the spread of the Gospel like never before.  Dan Cathy took advantage of an opportunity that was presented to him.  He and his company are facing a lot of heat for it, but the old saying is true, "There is no such thing as bad publicity."  The Gospel is becoming national news.  Everyone knows that Chick-Fil-A is a company that was founded by a Christian.  The more this story goes to press, the more exposure the Gospel gets, directly or indirectly. 
So, instead of getting upset and drawing the battle lines, let us pray for opportunities that God may give us through this story.  You may read this and think this is overly optimistic and you would be right.  The reason I am overly optimistic is because I believe in a big God who is bigger than this.  I believe in a big God who is bigger than the marriage debate.  I believe in a big God who knows exactly what he is doing and His plan will not be stopped by anything or anyone.  So, while we wait for His plan to fully unfold, let us speak the Gospel boldly and courageously.  Let us pray for and take advantage of opportunities God may give us.  Let us express how much we love Chick-Fil-A chicken and see where the conversation goes.