Throughout our history, we
Christians have had difficulty agreeing on what Jesus is really calling us to
do. Many times, we have used the
Bible to condemn behaviors different from our own.
In the 1930’s and 40’s, some
Christians uncomfortable with playing cards defined such as sinful. In the 50’s, Christian used the Bible
to proclaim dancing as taboo (Exodus 32: 19-21, 31). In the 60’s & 70’s, you were
sinning if you married a divorced person (Matt. 5: 31, 32). In the 90’s and
2000’s - and still today - some
Christians use the Bible to condemn homosexuals (Rom. 1: 26, 27).
How we understand the Bible
changes over time. And it should. If we are truly becoming more like
Christ, as we move forward to mature in our faith, we will change. We will
grow. We will become more like Him – more loving, more accepting, more
welcoming of those different from ourselves. As He demonstrated with the Woman at the Well (John 4),
Zaccheaus (Luke 19), the Woman Caught in Adultery (John 7:53ff), and those
crucifying him (Luke 23:34), this was His role-modeling. Christians today who truly want to
follow Him seek to spend less time judging, more time forgiving, less time
excluding, more time including, less time rejecting, more time accepting.
For most Christians, it is
no longer sinful to play cards, dance, or marry a divorced person. Within a few years, most Christians
will no longer consider it sinful to be homosexual. We will instead refuse to participate in Sodom and Gomorrah’s
sin (Ezekiel 16:49), and become ever more compassionate to those different from
ourselves.
This will be a good
thing. Jesus prayed that we would
all be One as He and His Father were One (John 17:9-11). This can only happen when we stop our
judging of others (Matt 7:1) and see us all as Children of God.
Many gays are devout
Christians. Many of those who aren’t
do not participate because when they sought the love of God in church, they
could not find it there.
We all have the same Source,
the same Creator. And God does not
condemn any of His children. Indeed, as Jesus said, “none have been lost” (John
17: 12).
The Prodigal Father (Luke 15:20) was not interested in how
the younger son was different from the older son. He was only interested in
welcoming him home. As we become
more like the Jesus we follow, we too will be less concerned about judging
others who are different, and more concerned about warmly accepting everyone
into our midst.
I believe Jesus smiles as we
become more like Him - when we recognize his Greatest Commandment (Matt. 22: 36-40) trumps any other rule
we may be compelled to embrace.
I share in Jesus’ hope that
we will shed the responsibility we feel to be judges of each other. As we drop
this judgment, we will finally become One, living the love of Jesus with all.
