In a blog I started, finished, and then had my Mac laptop freeze on me so I was unable to post, I discussed how people who give Christianity a bad name really frustrate me. Well these people are back in the news (as always) and not letting up on the fight to give Christianity a worse name. Here is a video that was linked to another blog yesterday that I couldn’t get out of my mind.
As I cringed, blood curdling and boiling at the same time, I wanted to hide and irradiate him from being synonymous with Christianity and the Church. As this was not possibility, what is done is done, YouTube will keep this video available until the ends of the ages. (Side note- I am thinking about how the digital age has helped St. Peter, he no longer needs to keep records of rights or wrongs in his book, he just hyperlinks YouTube clips, Facebook photos, comments and the rest). I moved on in my day, rationalizing with myself what’s done is done. Hoping next time someone speaks they show a little more humbleness, meekness, and love. I mean these are only the attributes that Jesus teaches about in the Sermon on the Mount and calls us to partake in as ambassadors for his Kingdom.
This morning the video was almost out of my head when an article in The Christian Post regarding Joel Osteen’s Upcoming San Jose Visit brought it screaming back to the forefront. However, as I read the article, particularly Joel’s comments, I realized that Joel, as well as the young man in the clip above, isn’t necessarily trying to be the arrogant bigot that the world sees him as(maybe that is harsh), but rather they really believe that they are speaking is the Truth and God has called them to preach it. Where did they get this truth that they so feel so compelled to preach? Their church, their community, and their mentors that helped raise and shape them into the people that they are today. They were bred into a societal view which was still clinging to a modern understanding of enlightenment.
The problem…we live in a postmodern (possibly post postmodern) world. Things are not as black and white as we once thought. The Enlightenment Project didn’t turn out as we once anticipated. We are left with the reality that we are a particular people living at a particular time. I am not sure we can know timeless truths that we once believed we could. I am not saying that there aren’t timeless truths, but the way we can interact/know them is limited.
Therefore, in light of our misconception I am offering a new way to address the Joel Osteen’s and homosexuals in the world…as broken individuals who, like all of us, are offered God’s grace. We are all sinners and fall short…or at least some theologians think so. I believe that if our starting point is a correct interpretation of ourselves we cannot help but give grace to others. It is when our teachers and community stress the work of Christ and how he has lifted us out of our filth that we can see the long way that Christ has brought us. I believe when the starting place is what Christ has done for us that we start to automatically pick up those kingdom traits that we find in the Sermon on the Mount.
This pattern of thinking should be essential to the forming community known as the Church and the way of disciples people that we are raising up under the guise of Kingdom ambassadors. It should yield a product or model ,as the one I will propose, for dealing with issues like the one Joel and our young friend are so passionate about. I think it would be leading people into the Church instead of away (or at least to talk with).
The starting point for my model is an apology. Whenever there is bad blood, miscommunication, or tension with my wife I find this the best place to start. An apology says that I care more about you than the issue at hand, and I want to work with you to restore our relationship. Our apology should go out to the LGBT community, chosen from the issue above but could go out to any hot topic group, and say that we have failed to like up as the representatives that God has called us to be. In this case, the Church could easily say that we have failed to treat the LGBT as Jesus commanded in the Sermon on the Mount and by doing so have failed to love you as Christ loves you. We may not be forgiven right away, but I believe that we would catch them off guard enough to at least let them hear us out.
The second step, is acknowledging that we don’t know everything(tough step). We could possibly highlight that we, the Church, have been wrong before (Galileo, Slavery, Women’s suffrage…and down the line). By apologizing, acknowledging that we don’t know everything , and admitting that we could be wrong would open a door to further be heard/communicate…possibly evangelise…the method works at least for my wife.
The third step, is to hear their point of view. We cannot just listen and respond. We need to hear and understand their view. Repeat their view in their words to them. Possibly to know it better than they do. To acknowledge that we have heard them and see them as people who God wants to have a relationship with.
It is only after all of this that we can share our position. Our position coming from a position that shares…this is what tradition has taught me. This is what is accepted by my community. Knowing verses and looking at them together within context is key. “Because the Bible tells me so!” Is not an answer.
We have a long way to go.
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