Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. -- Matthew 5.4

Mourning creates conditions where the presence of God can enter in fullness and comfort and bless and heal the mourner. This is only the first reversal we see in the Sermon on the Mount. Here mourners find comfort in the knowledge that God cares for them and invites them into his healing presence. These are words every victim in Orlando need to experience. More than that, however, Christians ought to be such a blessing to mourners in their expression of the love and grace of God that they have received.

Late Sunday night Think-Biblically.com posted a response to the terror attack on the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. We called believer’s everywhere to act out of loving compassion for every victim and for those who mourn the loss of loved ones. Only now are stories of kindness and caring coming to light. Today we highlight one group of Jesus-followers who lead by example in the aftermath of tragedy.

Depending on who are, Chick-Fil-A is a fast food restaurant that is inconveniently closed on Sundays, or is that self-righteous business that doesn’t support gay marriage, or is one of perhaps only a handful of companies that are willing to step out and proclaim their Christian values. No matter who you are, you have to respect what some Chick-Fil-A employees and locations did the morning a terrorist shot up a gay nightclub.

Though the restaurant chain is always closed on Sunday, on this particular Sunday the Orlando location on University and Rouse Road quietly opened its kitchen and prepared bucket-loads of sweet tea and hundreds of chicken sandwiches. They then provided the meals free of charge to all who lined up to donate blood at the One Blood donation center. In addition, another Orlando location offered free frosted lemonade to all who gave blood when the mobile donation unit was at their store yesterday.

Blessed are those who give blood, for they will receive comfort food.

I jest, but what a simple yet powerful way to reveal the love of God for all people. As a company, Chick-Fil-A has proudly stood on Christian principles and in the aftermath of this tragedy they acted on those same principles. So ought we all.