I am sure most of you have been mulling over the whole Chick-Fil-A issue like I have. Some of you have the belief that if you love Jesus you have to take a strong, loud & aggressive stand against all things related to gay marriage. Others believe that regardless of your personal views, you don't want the government deciding who is allowed to marry. Many fall somewhere in between.
I am not here to tell you what to think about the issue, but to encourage us in the way we discuss it.
This afternoon I found myself very worked up over this whole situation & the responses of some people. Then I was reminded of a story in the New Testament. The story where Judas hands Jesus over & Peter cuts off a servant's ear in an attempt to protect Jesus.
In situations like this I think it is easy to respond like Judas & Peter. To either throw our hands in the air & go home or to react & attack.
And then there was Jesus. He didn't react like Peter, but loved & served unto death. He also didn't cower like Judas and give up. What did He do? He loved. He told the Truth. He saved the world.
Like it or not, Chick-Fil-A opened up a significant conversation in America. Our nation is eagerly listening to what we say over the coming days.
Truth without love is abrasive and indigestible. Love without truth isn't love at all. My hope for the Church is that we blend the two well. That whatever we say is done with a motivation of love not defense or fear.
My prayer is that each of us would get with God & decide exactly where we stand on the issue. Then communicate it in a way that is humble but not compromising.
I hope that no matter what you believe about this issue you are full of grace.
If you are reading this and don't believe in God, I hope you know He loves you anyway.
If you consider yourself a homosexual, I hope you know you are valued.
In the end people won't remember who yelled the loudest, but who loved the most. Our job is not to defend the Gospel, but to share the Gospel.
I pray we share it well over these coming weeks. Our world is dying to hear it.
Yes and Amen.
ReplyDeleteStruggling with homosexuality myself, I appreciate your response; however, when it comes down to it I can't see past that fact that there is either right or wrong in this situation. Ultimately, bc you follow Jesus you will always place the gay community on the wrong side. Love or not.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comment. Just so you know, I don't think the gay community is an enemy. I bet we would actually be great friends. Wish we could grab coffee and hear each other's stories first hand. Blessings!
DeleteLiz
Totally understand. Love the sinner, not the sin. Scripture clearly commands God’s people to love the individual and resist the ideology represented by the political agenda that seeks to abolish God’s truth in human relationships and the moral order. For me, it's definitely a battle to challenge my love for Jesus while knowing I'm a sinner bc of who I'm attracted to. Most of the time it just seems unfair. I didn't ask to be this way. And thanks! Who knows, we might just become close!
ReplyDeleteTruth without love is abrasive and indigestible. Love without truth isn't love at all. My hope for the Church is that we blend the two well. That whatever we say is done with a motivation of love not defense or fear. - this quote is going down in the history books! :-) Love you and your heart! :-) Thanks for this friend! :-)
ReplyDeleteI think it's arrogant to think our camp vs your camp. Cathy's comments are also arrogant because he implies that it's one or the other. He does not represent all Christians. Many Jesus-following individuals are gay. Many Christians believe that the Bible supports same sex relationships. Since when does the conservative evangelical group get to determine the position all Christians are going to take?
ReplyDeleteLiz, I think you are hitting on the core issue in this debate and the cultural divide that I see in America right now. When I read the New Testament, I understand the church as being a refuge for all kinds of people to seek God in community together. Not a place to put on a "happy mask" and make sure that all of your behaviors follow a certain pattern first. Unfortunately, that is what many churches have become. I also think many of the people who fall on the "truth no matter what" side have never had friends who were gay or lesbian. It is a curious psychological phenomenon that we humans fall prey to where we categorize people just like ourselves into one group and then make everyone else into "the others", thereby demonizing them. Our "Christian" country enslaved African Americans, denied women the right to vote, and locked up Japanese Americans during WWII. May we learn from our mistakes and not do the same thing again with the gay and lesbian community.
ReplyDeleteVery well put, Elizabeth.
ReplyDelete