Shane L. Windmeyer: Dan and Me: My Coming Out as a Friend of Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A.

I recommend to you this article by Mr. Shane Windmeyer. In this post Mr. Windmeyer, a nationally recognized leader in the LGBT community, admits to having cultivated a friendship with Dan Cathy, President of Chick-fil-A. He will take a lot of criticism from within his community for admitting a friendship with the “enemy.” I think this is a brave thing to write. I respect Dan Cathy for refusing to defend himself and simply trying to sincerely follow Christ.

At the time of the Chick-fil-A uproar, I posted my feelings that it was a mistake for Christians get so excited about the controversy. I thought it would create more hostility than was appropriate or Christ-like. I stick by that. We can learn from Mr. Cathy in this.

There is so much I could say about it, but I will post more on this topic later. For now I will say that we must stop demonizing those who disagree with us. Dialing down the rhetoric, listening, having a dialogue does not mean we have to give up that which we hold true. It doesn’t mean we have to compromise anything. What it means is that we’ll start seeing “them” as people. Maybe they’ll see us the same way. Maybe – just maybe – we’ll get beyond the hostility and actually be able to talk about our common need for forgiveness.