Same-Sex Marriage? Sure! Why Not?
Now that I have your attention…
First of all, because this is such a hot-button topic, I will lay out several items. 1) I have a close family member who is gay, and who has been in several monogamous relationships, including at least one that she considered to be “marriage” before this was even a dream in the heart of legislators. I love her dearly; she is important to me, and I have no intention of causing her heartache. This is ultimately an issue between her and the Lord. 2) Having attended eight years of art school and being in the art-making business for over ten years, I have had friendships, some very close, with several peers that self-identify as gay or lesbian. Some are still following that lifestyle; some are not. Not all that have left it have done so because of spiritual conviction. I believe firmly in taking people at face value, protecting their dignity and loving them unconditionally. I have never, and will never, shun or attack someone because of their sexual orientation. 3) I am intentionally not posting this on my facebook or twitter because I don’t believe that a one-liner world is the place to have an intelligent discussion about this. Because a blog from a teeny church in New Jersey is. Ha ha. 4) Be it ever so unpopular, I know Whom I have believed, and believe that His Word is unchanging, true for all time, and I am always seeking to become more literate in the Biblical narrative and underlying meaning as a whole. I am committed to Jesus Christ, and I believe His is the way of Truth and Love.
Now. I’ve been very troubled by the growing wave of believers in Christ that are willing to go along with the movement to legalize same-sex marriage. Somehow we have believed the age old half-truth about God being a God of love and acceptance. “Isn’t God a God of love?” we hear the pundits say (most recently, Brian Lehrer from WNYC in his completely irresponsible and sensational coverage of the NY situation). And then a well-meaning person on the other side will say, “Well, that’s the way marriage has always been.” Then Brian will invoke the example of slavery in the Bible. And the whole argument goes down the tubes. (more…)
Time was, when the pastorate was something that fine, respectable families sent their children off to do; it was a mark of honor on the family to say that their child was becoming a priest or pastor. Maybe that had to do with the rigorous study involved; kind of like having a “My Child is an Honor Student at XYZ School” bumper sticker. (And if I had a bumper sticker, it’d probably be the “My Kid Beat Up Your Honor Student” one. OK, well, I digress.) My point is that I think those days are over. The days of ministry as a symbol of respectability and achievement, and yes, of power, are being replaced by a new paradigm. It’s one we’ve heard of before, but I believe that the rubber is about to hit the road. These are the days of servant leadership.