Several months ago, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide. All forms of media were buzzing with the news. Supporters were posting pictures lit up in rainbow colors to advocate the LGBT community. However, there was one specific community that was in controversy with this ruling. Christians throughout the country were in agony because of this bill. Some Christians openly disagreed and condemned same-sex marriage, others complied with this decision, others simply did not know how to handle this news. Each of these responses are understandable and expected, but there is one problem with these reactions. In each case, Christians are so concerned with the sin of homosexuality that they do not stop to consider the person of interest: the homosexual.
As God-fearing, Bible-believing Christians, often a first response is to be appalled at the legalization of same-sex marriage, maybe even distressed or disappointed. However, after getting over the initial shock, the most common reaction is to try passionately to persuade the supporters of its evil. Christians quote the Bible to homosexuals, scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: “Do you not know that the unrighteousness and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the impure…nor those who participate in homosexuality…” They proclaim that homosexuality is a sin and those who practice it will go to hell if they continue to do so. While it is true that the practice of homosexuality is a sin, condemning those who participate it in this way does not make those practicing homosexuality want to give up their practices. It actually scares them or shames them, giving Christians a bad name as people who condemn and hate instead of as people who love and act as Christ. As Alex D. Montoya said in his book "The Churches Response to Homosexuality," “The church can be guilty of the attitude of the Pharisees towards the sinners of their day. The Pharisees displayed an absolute lack of concern and compassion for those who were lost (cp. Luke 15:1-32). Christ taught compassion for the lost, and this includes the homosexual. (cp. Matt 9:10-13)" (238).
Other Christians are on the opposite side of the spectrum. They see the damage that openly condemning these people cause and, instead, do not confront them at all. They seem to accept these practices as nothing more than outward expression of who they believe they are. In attempt to not offend individuals or communities, they do not confront the sin that is being openly practiced. They claim to have an open mind, neither endorsing nor condemning homosexuality, perhaps motivated by Romans 15:7, “ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” This brings about another problem. In their silence, they actually endorse and take on the sin of the sinner as seen in Ezekiel 33:1-17, “…If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned…he is taken away in and for his perversity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” Martin Luther King Jr. has a good point when he said, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” We do not want to be seen as a generation who sees the evil and sin and says nothing, leaving them to experience a fate that, had we spoken up, they might not have to face.
In their attempt to get rid of homosexuality, Christians have forgotten about the people who are directly connected to it. People who practice homosexuality are more than this practice. It is not their identity. Unfortunately, many do not see past the sexual preferences of the gay community. People’s identity is not found in whether they are gay or straight, whether they dress like a man or woman, or anything else they believe they are. Their identity is found in the Lord and who He says they are. Those who do not know the Lord search for their identity elsewhere: in relationships, possessions, worldly momentary fulfillments, ect. The argument is not whether they are gay or straight. The argument is where they find their identity. Our responsibility is simply to be used as a tool through which God’s glory can shine, revealing their true source of identity. Rainbows, originally a symbol of God’s promise to His people, have become a sign of gay pride. Being a light in this darkness means showing others the real meaning of the rainbow—mercy.
In her book "The End of Sexual Identity: Why Sex is too Important to Define Who We Are," Jenell Williams Paris describes a time when one of her friends, who is gay, took her to a gay bar. Upon arriving, her friend asked her if Christianity really condemned homosexuality. She answered simply that the Bible says it is a sin. After offering no more information, she saw the anger and hurt her answer had caused. This experience brought her to thinking this way:
"I didn’t know that proclaiming “homosexuality is a sin” is a poor representation of Christian teachings. I now see that statement as a judgment that served my needs. I needed to believe my religion was true, my sexual choices were proper and my moral bearings were sound. Feeling unsteady in an unfamiliar environment, I stabilized myself by leaning on judgment instead of love. Now I realize that love is not synonymous with morality. Love and grace are not doled out according to our righteousness, but according to our belovedness. Jesus’ good news should sound like good news, because it is…Instead of speaking for God so quickly, I wish I had introduced a pause in the rush to judgment"(9).
Making a “rush to judgment” seems to be our default. It is not our jobs to judge and condemn. We have a tendency to think, speak, judge for God when He has not given us that authority. We may feel the need to defend our beliefs against those who have a different perspective than we do, or we may feel the need to articulate our feelings towards a specific concept. We want our own thoughts to be perceived by others as God’s wisdom. As Christians, we must be careful that we do not take the place of God, but seek Him on how to handle situations like Jenell experienced. It is only through pursuing the Lord’s heart about these matters will we be able to really touch the lives and the hearts of those who practice homosexuality. Instead of simply stating that “homosexuality is a sin,” Jenell could have pursued a better dialogue with her friend, asking why she is curious about the Christian perspective or even explaining why she is a Christian. This would have opened up more conversation and given her an opportunity to be a light to her friend and to share God’s love for her.
The goal, as Christians, is not to condemn the sinners or judge for God, because we are all sinners and we are not God. Our goal is to pursue God’s heart for people and act accordingly. The church has forgotten compassion for the lost, especially if they make the church feel uncomfortable or confused. The legalization of same-sex marriage has brought forth an abundance of controversy for Christians in the church. Although the issues brought up may be valid, these controversies dissipate once we stop focussing on the issues and turn our minds toward God’s heart for the people.
