Here we are again, nearly three years after the hearings on
legalizing same-sex marriage began, in the middle of the same storm of
arguments, debates, condemnation, judgment, anger, opinions, beliefs, &
extremism that we faced the first time.
Now that a decision has been made, the line has been re-drawn, and we find
ourselves being forced to choose a side.
There have already been some very good articles written/blogged so far, and my desire is not to compete with these articles, or to attempt to enter the heated debates happening all around us. I simply believe that as a leader, it is my responsibility to attempt to explain why I believe what I believe, and help to clarify a balanced stance on the situation to those watching, listening, & following me.
On one hand, as Christians, we want to stand up for the truth of what
the Bible teaches us about relationships, the institution of marriage, and this
dangerous thing called sin. At the same time, many of us find ourselves unable to
reconcile the Biblical mandate to love others, with the cultural outcry of
letting “love win”. After all (according
to the cultural argument), if we really believe in love the way we say we do,
how can we refuse to love someone just because they are ‘different’ from us?
Somehow, we have confused love (an unconditional commitment to selfless action)
with an unwavering approval for every lifestyle & choice made by
others. Somehow, it has become the norm
to be offended when someone who claims to “love,” will not accept our lifestyle
choices or validate our feelings. We
scream “intolerance”, but it’s funny how “tolerance” is supposed to force me to
conform to someone else’s beliefs, but not require any amount of understanding
or sensitivity, to any of my opinions or perspectives.
As much as I am not a controversial person, and try to avoid
anything that leads to an argument or debate, I also feel that as a follower of
Jesus (not just as a minister of the Gospel) I am called to share, stand for,
and point others to the truth in a loving & God-honoring way. I do not believe that my stance is one of
hatred, prejudice, anger, fear, pride, or a refusal to “change with the
times”. I personally see no difference
between my struggles, insecurities, choices, & feelings – and those of any
other human being on the planet. All of
us – regardless of race, preference, past, heritage, desires, hopes, religion,
or sincere belief – are a product of relational brokenness & an inner
capacity to feed our own selfish wants called sin.
I know that we have a negative reaction to that word, and
many of us don’t like to be told that we are “sinners” – mostly because our
pride doesn't want to have to admit that there is something wrong, or that we
are inherently imperfect and in need of help & “saving”. But the truth is that it shouldn’t take long
for us to look around the world, and see that there is desperately something
wrong with humanity. For all of our self-help & ‘evolutionary’
achievements, we are incredibly sick and self-destructive at the core of our
being. Whether it’s murder, adultery,
lust, stealing, lying, deception, manipulation, selfishness, greed, gluttony,
hatred, prejudice, slavery, molestation, or same-sex attraction – it all stems
from a distorted & discolored view of all that we were originally designed
& created for.
Will some people be offended at those statements? More than
likely. Will some people feel like I
have completely attacked their entire identity & have ‘judged’ their entire
belief system in the most non-loving way possible? Also, more than likely. However, without knowing me personally, and
knowing the actions and heart of love that go along with these words, all
anyone can do is speculate at my intentions, motives, & meanings. On a side note: this is main problem with
attempting to debate, argue, & force people into agreeing with our
perspectives over social media (or any means) – no matter what you type, no one
can ever completely know what you’re saying, unless they can hear you say it. All I can do is tell you that I don’t believe
that anyone on the planet is evil, less of a human, or deserves to be
mistreated simply because they feel they are gay, or are attracted to the same
sex. The reason that I disagree
with the ruling of the SCOTUS, is not because I do not love members of the LGBT
community, but because I believe in the original design, intention, &
creation of marriage & humanity. I
can love, respect, & value any relationship with someone who is gay, the
same way that I can with someone who has committed adultery, engaged in
pre-marital sex, gotten a divorce (for the wrong reasons), or not upheld the
Biblical commitment of marriage.
Do I expect everyone to automatically see things from my
perspective? No. Is it my goal to force every human to hold fast to my values
& convictions? No. Am I trying to
force people into my views, and treat them differently if they refuse? Also, no.
Do I desire everyone I know to find a relationship with the Son of God,
Jesus, and follow Him with their entire being?
Absolutely. Why? Because I believe that the reason we all need
Him, is that we were intentionally & carefully created to be in
relationship with Him. It's not my job
to point out anyone’s flaws or shortcomings, or attempt to “fix” everyone I
know, and make them be more like me. Will
my beliefs and convictions offend people, and often stand in opposition to their
beliefs and convictions? You bet they
will. But it won’t be because I’m trying
to be a jerk & force my faith onto others – it will be because I have
committed my life to following Jesus & upholding the truths & standards
that I believe are His heart & intention for mankind. That is a decision that I will never
apologize for, and never be sorry for.
I hope that through all of this, you can still respect me as
much as I respect you. I hope that I have
encouraged respect between you & the relationships in your life. I hope, that as a Youth Pastor and a leader, I
have shown how truth & love can co-exist, and why it’s important to value
both of those things in the context of relationships. I think it is possible to believe in the same
things as you, but also believe in a deeper and greater purpose for your life,
that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
I believe in equality, because we are all equally guilty of
missing the mark of perfection, and being sinners separated from a holy &
loving God.
I believe in love, because Jesus Christ freely laid down His
life in order to redeem my sin & brokenness, and chose to embrace &
love humanity – even though our choices & lifestyles were against Him.
I believe in freedom, because the sacrifice that freely made
salvation available, allows me to find true liberty in the purpose, identity,
& truth of God’s Word.
I believe in marriage, because the One who ordained &
created the institution in the first place, had a holy & perfect purpose in
creating man & woman to journey together, in finding their completion in Him
alone.
I believe that my opinion, belief, & faith count just as
much as yours does, and does not automatically make me a bigot, a racist, or
narrow-minded.
I believe that we were never meant to find our identity in
our sexuality or preferences, but in the God who created us in His image.
I believe that truth is absolute, eternal, and is an
unchanging standard that we cannot update, alter, or disregard because of
feeling, preference, or prejudice.
I believe that just because something is popular, legal, or
socially acceptable, does not mean it is right.
I believe that love won on the cross almost 2000 years ago,
and continues to transform hearts & lives today in a way that no law or
legislature can ever come close to matching.
My hope is that one day you might see why these things are
important to me, and why they are worth believing in.
