Somewhere Over the Rainbow

First I want to say this: I completely respect your right to disagree with what I am about to say and I am open to hearing your opinions. But please only share those opinions if you can do it in a way that is civil and respectful, otherwise I will remove the comments. I am not looking to start an internet fight,

I just need to share what’s on my heart.

As I am very positive you all know, the Supreme Court just ruled that gay marriage is legal in all fifty states. As I am also positive that you know, the church generally disagrees with this decision, holding that the Bible says it is a sin. While quite a few Christians have responded positively, if not supportively, to the Supreme Court ruling there has been a very negative response to it from the church. And, in general, there is a very negative, fear-filled atmosphere in the church when it comes to homosexuality. Now, I'm not here to talk about whether or not homosexuality is a sin. I'm here to talk about how we as the Body of Christ have gotten our response wrong. I’m here to talk about love winning.

Since we as Christians say we believe that sin is sin is sin, why does sexual sin, and especially homosexuality, get so highly elevated that we create a culture of fear and hatred surrounding it? Romans 8:1-2 says “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free the law of sin and death.” Now, this doesn’t mean that we can run around doing whatever we want and there are no consequences. What it does mean, though, is that we cannot judge each other, in Christ or not. Because, regardless of whether or not a person is “saved” I am not the one saving them. Neither are you. If someone wrongs me and I forgive them, I am not removing their eternal consequences, I’m merely not holding it against them or allowing it to get in the way of my loving them. Only God can wipe their slate clean. And, on the flip side, if I choose not to forgive them that doesn’t mean they’re getting shut out of heaven, it just means that I am choosing to hold it against them and allowing it to color everything I think about them. Only God can keep heaven’s gates closed to them.

 Regardless of whether or not it’s a sin, everyone in the LGBT community is a human being, and in the church we believe that all people are made in the image of God. And that Jesus came to die for everyone single person on the earth. So why don’t we act like it? No condemnation, remember? But, you may be thinking, didn’t you just say “for those who are in Christ?” Yes, yes I did. But, if you remember, I also said that regardless of “in Christ” or not, we are not the ones who condemn. When the sinful woman came to Jesus he let her sob on his feet with no promise of change. He stood up for her when his disciples were judgmental. He loved her. He didn’t give her a list of changes she needed to make before she could love Him and follow Him. When the adulterous woman who, by the law God gave to Moses, should have been stoned was brought to Jesus he protected her. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” I don’t know about you, but in that case I have no stones to throw. But, you may again be saying, Jesus said “go and sin no more” to her. Yes, yes He did. After he protected and loved her. After He saved her from the death His own law said she deserved. She didn’t have to earn His love, and the LGBT community shouldn’t have to earn ours either. They aren’t asking for us to come to their weddings and say we think what they are doing is right, they are asking for the right to be in the hospital with the person they love, to be able to have the same insurance, and be counted as next of kin. They are asking for justice. But, you may be thinking, what they are doing is disgusting and because of it they are condemned to burn in hell forever! But, please let me point out, if we really believe what we claim to believe you and I deserve to be burning eternally in that same hell for the many, many sins we have committed anyway. But “God so loved the world that He sent His one and only

Son to die so that they should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Church family, that doesn’t just mean you. That means them, too. They are just as valuable as you. How is banishing them from your church service or denying them the right to hold the hand of the person they love while they are in the hospital going to help God reach them?

These are thoughts I have been struggling with for quite some time and recent events have helped me see even more clearly how easy it is for Christians to be judgmental and a turn off to the very people we claim we want to see saved. So, I would like to end this post with two apologies to the LGBT community:

1. Personally, I am sorry for any time I have been prejudiced against you. Sorry for any time I have thought that I was better than you or worth more. I am sorry for any time I’ve thought you made yourself ugly with your short hair or your makeup. Sorry for anytime I’ve pitied you. And I am especially sorry for any time I’ve let those opinions color the way I treated you. I am not better, and I think you are all beautiful people who are worthy of love am proud of you for being so open in your beliefs when I am sitting here sick to my stomach about posting this. I am so afraid to stand up for what I believe, and what I believe is that we should love you. So, I am also sorry for being a coward.
2. On behalf my church family, I am so sorry for any time you have had a door shut in your face, been belittled, are made to feel pain in the name of Jesus. That is not what He wants for you and that isn’t how it is supposed to work. But we are broken and afraid. We don’t understand you and we don’t listen. I am so sorry for every time we’ve lived up to your low expectations of the church.

To my fellow Christians reading this, I would just like to remind you of something: Love already won. Isn’t that what we believe? When Jesus died on the cross evil and hatred lost. We aren’t losing the war because of this decision, we are more than conquerors because He has already overcome the world. So, don’t be scared. Don’t be hateful. Listen to their hearts. Jesus is.