Through the years, I have seen casualties of the damage of the traditional approach. Suicide, alcohol and drug dependence, and an overwhelming sense of despair seem almost ubiquitous among the Bible Belt GLBT community. And I am reminded that SATAN comes to kill, steal, and destroy, not Jesus, and that if this is the result of the church's approach to the GLBT community, the church's approach cannot be considered Christian.
Like Paul, my history could mark me as the Pharisee of all Pharisees. I accepted Christ at 18, and almost immediately found myself in a conservative Baptist Bible college. I know the arguments of the apologetics crowd, and I can find doctrinal flaws in the practices of almost every denomination.
I'm not saying this to brag; I'm saying this to establish perspective. The argument is that we are saved by grace, through faith, and this argument is used repeatedly to insist that strict adherence to the letter of Biblical law is not necessary. However, it is used to rationalize one's own failings, and never to excuse the failings of others. Others are held to a higher standard. I'm thinking this is why Jesus instructed us to worry about the log in our eye before the mote in someone else's.
To the GLBT community I owe a deep and heartfelt apology. Not for my actions, but for my inactions. Not for my words, but for my silence. As Elie Wiesel once stated:
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the
oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the
tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are
endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and
sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted
because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must -
at that moment - become the center of the universe.”
I do not know where I stand on the nature vs. nurture debate on homosexuality. Where I stand, however, is immaterial compared to where I MUST stand as a Christian in dealing with those who daily live the hurt of those who shun them, who set them aside and hurt them for their lifestyle. And I will also state (without delving too deeply into the sidebar) that even if nurture decides one's sexual orientation, there are a good number of things encoded into someone's being that can't simply be done away with it. It's a deeper debate than I can delve into fairly in this blog.
But what I AM here to discuss is my conviction on how I should respond to the GLBT community. And that is simply the same way I should respond to any other person on the planet: in love. For me to speak on their spiritual walk is as insensitive and ill mannered as for them to speak on mine.
This does not mean I EMBRACE the GLBT lifestyle, but, truthfully, not even the most hardcore activist I have encountered has asked that I embrace it. They have only asked that I accept them as they are, and that is a fair request. I do nothing to advance the cause of Christ if I judge, treat someone harshly or with hate. Hate is not the hallmark of a Christian, period.
Going forward, I have decided that ministry is my primary focus. Not a pulpit; I do not desire a pulpit, nor would I accept one if offered. What God has called me to is distinctly different, and while the road ahead is scary, I've long been certain of my purpose; just not certain of the path to get there.
Many in the church will pray for me, and I welcome that. But I ask that your prayers not be for me to "repent" of this statement: I am fully certain that the above is the response to which God has called me. I ask that your prayers instead be directed to God's blessing on my life and on my calling. For it is not our own will we should seek, but God's ... wherever that path should lead.
The Christian singer Rich Mullins was known for the admonition he often wrote for his fans to "be God's" (note the use of the possessive). That is my aim, my goal, my only purpose. But I cannot be God's and harbor hate in my heart.
God bless each and every one of you.
But what I AM here to discuss is my conviction on how I should respond to the GLBT community. And that is simply the same way I should respond to any other person on the planet: in love. For me to speak on their spiritual walk is as insensitive and ill mannered as for them to speak on mine.
This does not mean I EMBRACE the GLBT lifestyle, but, truthfully, not even the most hardcore activist I have encountered has asked that I embrace it. They have only asked that I accept them as they are, and that is a fair request. I do nothing to advance the cause of Christ if I judge, treat someone harshly or with hate. Hate is not the hallmark of a Christian, period.
Going forward, I have decided that ministry is my primary focus. Not a pulpit; I do not desire a pulpit, nor would I accept one if offered. What God has called me to is distinctly different, and while the road ahead is scary, I've long been certain of my purpose; just not certain of the path to get there.
Many in the church will pray for me, and I welcome that. But I ask that your prayers not be for me to "repent" of this statement: I am fully certain that the above is the response to which God has called me. I ask that your prayers instead be directed to God's blessing on my life and on my calling. For it is not our own will we should seek, but God's ... wherever that path should lead.
The Christian singer Rich Mullins was known for the admonition he often wrote for his fans to "be God's" (note the use of the possessive). That is my aim, my goal, my only purpose. But I cannot be God's and harbor hate in my heart.
God bless each and every one of you.
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