As I listened to a sermon that began with a declaration that two pastors had changed their minds and now support homosexual's in some way, I held my breath, not because I was disappointed in the two pastors changing (I was curious and hopeful for loving people of same sex sexual orientation), but because I didn't want this pastor to condemn them for their understanding, and thus label himself as a hater of those who believe or hope as they do. Is he saying the pastors are no longer credible in anything they preach, no longer of the faith, rejected by God? I didn't hear him share the reasons they changed their minds, nor did I hear that they may still be loved and known and inspired by God. Even as I write anything on homosexuals, I wonder if I am leaving God's knowing to grasp my own, saying it is of God.
[Asside: I don't want to be the judge of this man, either, by saying his comments towards the pastors, means I will stop listening to him. I have been relieved and appreciative that he has considered lifestyle choices apart from someone sitting in being attracted to others of the same sex. Nor has he hasn't used the topic as an agenda item during the 5 years I have followed his sermons. All that said, I was relieved he quickly moved on to considering the pulls that we think will make us feel more alive. It is a great sermon and pointed inward to places where I struggle in my own desires for immediate jolts of aliveness, hope in things, longing to follow any advertisement that depicts "true happiness," touting it will change my life.]
In talking with a friend after the sermon, who shared some atrocities towards gays in the name of Christ, I too wondered why we didn't hear Christians question those Christians who support the Uganda Anti-homosexuality Act, which sentences gays to life in prison (reduced from the original plan to give them the death penalty). Jesus addresses some law abiders who want to kill an adulterous woman by saying, "Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone." They all drop their rocks and walk away leaving her to alone to receive Christ's love and forgiveness.
I know people who struggle with real love and desire for intimacy with others of their gender. I can't comprehend God creating us in him image, which I believe includes our desires for intimacy, and then for human to point fingers at "those people" and call them outside of God's design or plan. We are created for relationship, for drawing near, for an ultimate intimacy with Christ. I sit pondering what Christ would say to anyone on any side about this topic, because my guess is it would blow our minds, like each answer he provides in the New Testament, whether to a disciple, a Pharisee, a family member or a stranger encountering him, as each interaction is unpredictable and full of both a knowing and a profound loving. I also wonder why to my knowledge the bible does tell a story of Jesus meeting a gay person. I look forward to hearing him share his vision one day when I sit down with him in person.
As I considered comments and sides, I want to see more grappling with how we can enter into the conversation and love our each other, wherever we are. How we can listen and show up for one another in this discussion, praying that we all might be in like-mind with Christ. How we open our hands to Christ and one another soas to share our own understanding as our own, while holding ourselves and our opinions up to Christ's creating us, loving us and dying out of a profound hope that we would know him.
As a child I will always remember a friend, Margie Hamilton who wanted to be a female pastor insist her fiancé at the time decide what he felt about the issue before they marry. His response to her at the time was, "this is not my issue." He was not female, he did not know what the answer was, but he supported Margie in pursuing God's calling for her, whether pastor or otherwise without feeling the need to take a side himself. As I ponder World Visions attempt to say the same, I will continue in my own spaces to sit in empty chapels around Ann Arbor and listen for God to further reveal himself to me where I am.
[Post script: I want this to be a real moment in time, so that though I know World Vision only held this stance for one day and reversed it due to John Pipers and others saying things like, "Farewell," which they clearly don't mean, and we will all pull our money, I am choosing to hold the other moment. I do wonder how we encourage sinners like me, or even unbelievers or in this context believing people of same gender sexual orientation, into the work of Christ, hoping and trusting God to work in us towards one another towards hearing his voice directed uniquely to each one of us. Can't there be missions within missions? Big Sigh and a child size stomping of my foot at my own limitations.]
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