Last Wednesday was a watershed moment in the gay rights movement. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that essentially tossed out the gay marriage ban (Proposition 8) in California. It also struck down a part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which means legally married, same-gendered couples can now receive the same federal benefits as married, opposite-sex couples.
Since that ruling, I have gone through all types of emotions, from anger and frustration to confusion and fear. I have found myself asking many questions. How did our society ever get to the point of affirming that it is an OK thing for a man to marry (and have sexual union with) another man, or a woman with another woman? What is the basis for our affirmation of this practice, and on what authority did we reach this conclusion? If we continue on this trajectory, and gay marriage (and homosexual practice) become firmly entrenched in our culture, what will be the next sexually defined "equal rights" movement? Will a brother seek the right to marry his sister (or brother)? Will a high school teacher pursue her right to have a sexual union with a 14-year-old junior high school student?
Judging from the way courts make decisions -- almost exclusively on the basis of what is constitutionally permissible, and not what is morally acceptable or unacceptable -- these scenarios do not seem so far-fetched.
This was how I processed the news last week, and I am simply being transparent about my emotions and thought processes.
Today is a new day. I have returned from a family vacation -- which was also a vacation from news and digital media (for the most part) -- and I am now ready to get back to work. I realize that, moving forward, I (we) cannot be driven by emotions like anger and fear. These are natural human emotions, and I feel no shame for asking these questions, but they must be immersed in prayer, reflection, and the Spirit of God.
So far, after several days of prayer and reflection, here is where I am.
God does have a plan for this nation. More importantly, God has a purpose for the Church, as we seek to communicate the Gospel message to a good but broken world. The content of the Gospel message is a good-news message that absolutely includes love of all people.
The question is this, What does it mean to truly love other people? Does love mean that we accept and affirm every action that other people take? Does it mean that every lifestyle is OK? When I love another person, does it mean I refuse to speak up when their lives run contrary to the Word of God?
If this is love, then please, do not love me. I want to be surrounded by people who love me gently, patiently, and kindly. But I also count on people in my life to confront me (hopefully, but not necessarily in a gentle way) when I am on the wrong path. This is true love, and the kind of love that God exhibits to his children when necessary (See Hebrews 12:3-17). The message of Christ is not merely a message of acceptance and tolerance, but forgiveness linked to repentance (See John 8:1-11).
This is the nature of the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ.
Moving forward, what should be the response of the Church to the decisions last Wednesday (which really are the culmination of years of struggle with this issue)? It seems we can take several important steps as the Church. Firstly, we can pray that, in our discourse and interactions with others, we remember that we, like all other people, are sinners in need of the ongoing grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. If we forget this simple message, then our testimony will be lost to others and we will be held to account by God's perfect and righteous Judgment (Romans 2:1-4).
Secondly, pray for the courage to speak more boldly for the truth of God, as revealed in Scripture. It is time to get off the fence and speak the truth in love.
Thirdly, pray that you will cling, and the Church will cling, to the Word of God that is revealed in the pages of Scripture. We are not our own authority!
Lastly, give thanks that the eternal Word of God remains steadfast, no matter how an earthly court may rule or what a cultural movement may say is truth.
There are more steps to take moving forward, but these are some logical steps that are before us as the Church, if we seek to move beyond emotions toward faithful witness.
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