Everything That's On My Mind

It’s with some trepidation that I begin this blog entry. As Brian McLaren has outlined recently, trying to address the issue of homosexuality is a minefield for those of us trying to accurately represent both the truth of God’s word and the truth of His love for sinners. With this year’s movies like “Brokeback Mountain”, “Transamerica”, and to a lesser degree, “Capote”,* Hollywood has brought this issue to the forefront like never before. Many in the Christian community have decried the purported agenda of these movies. On the eve of the Academy Awards, I offer a few observations on the issue of homosexual behavior.

• Homosexual behavior is sin. There is no honest, literal reading of scripture that can come to any other conclusion. However, it is not a “special” sin. It is no different to God than the sins we find “more acceptable” like divorce, lust, or greed. As fallen human beings, we classify sins. Those who are overcome by sins that we ourselves are tempted by receive our understanding and mercy, whereas those who are overcome by sins that we are not tempted by are more likely to be condemned and ostracized. God has no such categories. Spending time browsing the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is no less repugnant in God’s eyes than homosexual activity.
• We need to learn how to listen, even to viewpoints that we disagree with. Listening, discussing, and caring will not “compromise” the Gospel. Quite to the contrary, how can we expect anyone to listen to our viewpoint if we are unwilling to listen to their viewpoint? Spreading the Gospel does not require silencing the voices of dissent; the Holy Spirit is powerful enough to overcome all opposition. Have we learned nothing from church history?
• Can we as Christians please refrain from joining the fraternity of the perpetually offended? Do we really want to be associated with PETA, NOW, Greenpeace and the rest of the professional protest industry? When I read scripture, I don’t see Jesus or John or Paul or James or Peter decrying the decay of Roman society or calling for political change. Picket lines and press releases do not help spread the Gospel. The fires of revival are not fed by political action; they are fed by prayer, devotion, and holiness.

This may be my first little “dry spell” as a blogger. I just haven’t been inspired to write anything for a few days. Of course, that word “inspired” carries a bit of baggage for conservative evangelical Christians, so maybe I should find another term. Let’s just say my muse has been silent. Oh wait, that’s pagan Greek mythology…aarrgh.

My last entry about the ECI got me thinking about global issues that I put on the back burner a few years ago. Conservative evangelical Christianity has tended to shy away from social justice and economic issues, not wanting to be accused of promoting a “liberal social gospel”. In some ways, it’s like how a friend of mine describes his Baptist upbringing...no one wanted to talk about the Holy Spirit for fear of being accused of being a closet Pentecostal. (Oh, the horror!!!) I must admit, I’ve probably been caught in the same “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” trap, whether it’s because I’m a conservative evangelical Christian, or simply because I’m a dumb American who hasn’t really experienced much of the rest of the world.

As some of you may have noticed, I’ve begun to revisit social issues lately. There has been a lot of “buzz” on these kinds of issues lately, whether it is Rick Warren’s work in Rwanda, Bono’s work with DATA, or the SAY Detroit campaign surrounding the Super Bowl. My friend Keith and I have been trading emails on such subjects lately, too.