Okay, so I am definitely not the best at keeping my blogs up to date. However, this morning, among some other things I am doing on my day off, I decided to go back and read last year's material and that inspired me to write something new. Try to hold on if you can!
In the last year or so, I have completed yet another year of college classes. This requires a lot of my time, and I am also working as a Shift Supervisor at Starbucks and raising four children. All of this is not an excuse for not blogging - not really, since I don't depend on this blog for support, and I am pretty sure that you have been able to get by quite nicely without my rambling thoughts. However, in reading the old material I found a quote that I would like to comment further upon. The quote was this: "Trust his judgment unless you can see that it goes directly against God's Word (not just your opinion or desires), and then handle the situation with grace and care." When I wrote these words, I was referring to pastors in churches. Now, I can see where this statement maybe applies to Christians in your church body as well (and not just those that share my last name!).
My own experiences aside, I have recently heard of a lot of people undergoing someone questioning their judgment and their motives in doing things in Kingdom work. Of course, if you can see a direct correlation between what the Bible calls sin and their behavior, I can understand why you would choose to do so. I think that little parenthetical expression (not just your opinions or desires) is where we get into trouble. Think something looks like sin, but can't place your finger on why? Unless you can find scripture about it and definitely know the desires of that person's heart, you can get into some real opinion/desire problems. Handling situations with grace and care is really important.
Recently, I have been put in situations where I am living life with people who are homosexuals. I work with them, have friends facing tough decisions about whether to participate in same sex marriages and other issues. In the past, I have sat under pastors who have made such pithy statements as, "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." It makes an interesting sound bite, and turns people off to anything else you might say about the gospel. I am pretty sure that Jesus would have avoided this type of smarmy statement like I avoid dairy and wheat right now. Probably more so.
Being a homosexual should not define who a person is any more than I should wear a name tag calling me a liar, cheat or idolator. Do we really believe that because their sin is more visible or public that we should just cut them off from all contact with the gospel in some way? That seems counterproductive. Here is the truth as I see it: Jesus does not expect you to "cure" someone of their sinfulness, especially considering that you are also a sinner. In fact, I am pretty sure there was something about splinters and poles in eyes and stuff - right? And what a vivid picture that creates in my mind. Me trying to get a speck out of your eye while bonking you in the head, and possibly unconscious, with my own log. Where was it you were standing again?
So all of this also begs the question - how then SHOULD we deal with issues that are sin? How can we help our brother or sister in Christ without knocking them out cold? I have found myself befriending many different people lately. Some of them just happen to be homosexual (and I am not using the "some-of-my-best-friends-are-black" defense here, cause that is just stupid). They are very kind. They care about others. The truth is, they have bought the lie that sin is okay and that they can make it better through marriage just like I have bought the lie that if no one knows I am lying then it's okay, right? Or how about the one that I haven't really stolen that pen from the office if no one realizes it is missing. Of course they realize it is missing. Someone has to order new pens to replace them. They just aren't sure which of you is putting them in your purse at the end of the day. Or those hours on the clock when you balanced your checkbook? Isn't that also stealing if someone is paying you to be working instead?
How can we treat others with grace and still hate sin? For starters, we could try loving the sinner. Jesus did it. He set the ultimate example for us in situations like the one with that woman at the well who was living in great sin and knew it. He chose to love her with his great love and encourage her to do better. What will that look like in the life of a homosexual? Well, considering I have never seen it lived out, I am not sure, but I bet if we pray hard and let Jesus do the work we will all figure it out together. And by the way, I am pretty sure that along the way, in our horror over homosexuality, we have simply decided that cheating on one's spouse is pretty much normal or something? We certainly don't treat THOSE sinners like the ones that are attracted to someone of the same sex. I am pretty sure that someday they can have a Televangelist Ministry or become your deacon or something.
