Despair and Hope

We live in a troubled world, don't we? Every day the news is filled with tragedy and disappointment. Just in the past day we were greeted with news that ISIS is holding at least 150 Christians hostage, were reminded of the partisan politics and gridlock within our Congress, and probably heard about countless other problems in our local community.

Things can get even more depressing for those of us who minister [should be read "all Christians"]. As we seek to bring God's Kingdom to earth and to proclaim the Gospel that Jesus Christ is Lord, we often feel like we are spinning our wheels in the mud. It doesn't help when so many Christian teachers and pundits remind us of the many moral failings and cultural depravity in our society. And, if you happen to be someone working within the church (or even in a non-profit), you may sometimes wonder if all the work you are putting forth is really paying off.

This has been a constant struggle for me in my own ministry in Marlin, TX for the past 4 and a half years. I work hours each week preparing, studying, ministering, and praying, but sometimes it feels like the ministry and the community go one step forward and two steps back. You spend countless sermons and mentoring hours emphasizing to others the immense love and grace found through Jesus, only to have people walk away from the church. You teach about how holy living and self-control are truly paths to the good life, only to get on Facebook and see the crap that students and church members post (sometimes directed at one another). You point others toward the reality that our faith cannot be lived out alone and that we need the community of Christ's Body, only to be disappointed many weeks by piddly attendance. It's enough to make a grown man cry (and I have sometimes.)

But, the temptation to despair and burnout is not unique to church work. Anyone who sees a need in their community and has struggled to change that reality will inevitably face these dark nights and haunting questions. And, when those doubts come, it is so very tempting to give into despair and cynicism. I have seen it in my own life. Slowly, you start badmouthing your congregation, or your town, or your school, or your (fill in the blank). You compare your grass to greener fields in other towns and communities. You entertain thoughts of leaving and moving to someplace where "they actually get it." You find yourself visiting despair.com to feed your cynicism and self-righteousness (it's actually a pretty funny website, check it out.) But cynicism is not a Christian virtue, at least not in the Bible I read.

In Jeremiah 32, there is a beautiful story that deals with despair and hope. At this point in the prophet's life, he has spent most of his ministry proclaiming the doom of Jerusalem and the Temple. Now, those prophecies were unfolding as the King of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah then had the duty of announcing the city would fall and that Judah's King would not escape. In response, the King of Judah decided to imprison Jeremiah for his negativity.

However, while Jeremiah is sitting in prison and knows that his city will fall into the hands of his enemies, he receives an amazing prophecy. God instructs him to buy a plot of land in Judah and to place the deed in a jar "so it will last a long time." In Jeremiah's current circumstances that business deal made no sense. Why buy a piece of land that was about to become occupied territory? He didn't even know if he would survive the siege.

Even though it made little sense, the symbolism of this simple action was huge. Buying a deed communicated to God's people that this hardship would not be forever. They would not be occupied forever. One day, they would return to the land, and in that context, having a deed to a field would be a blessing. Despite the surrounding circumstances, Jeremiah chose to be used as a symbol of hope reminding people that we serve a God of restoration and resurrection.

So, the next time you feel tempted to give into despair and cynicism, remember that we are called to be signs of hope for our community, church, and culture. When everyone around us is screaming that the sky is falling, we are called to remind them that it is really heaven that is falling to earth. When pundits and neighbors despair because evil is running rampant, we run to the cross where Jesus crucified every evil power. And, when we look at our situation and are ready to host a funeral, we remember that we are a resurrection people.

Now, we may not see the transformation we want to see in our lifetime, but we also know that it's not really us who provides the growth and change. We plant the seeds and someone else may water, but in the end it is God who breathes life. After all, Jeremiah never got to use his deed. He probably died in captivity. But, for years that deed sat as a symbol of hope that all was not lost, and one day, someone did get to use that deed.

So wherever you are, cling to hope and "put the deed in the jar," because God is not done yet.

10 Thoughts on the Homosexuality Debate

I don't talk very frequently about this topic, particularly online, since raising the issue can quickly descend into emotional irrationality and unhelpful stereotypes (from both sides). However, the past year has seen an unprecedented acceleration of the conversation. I now hear or see news stories daily  regarding homosexuality. Numerous stories in recent months have especially forced the topic into the spotlight. From the first openly gay NFL player, to the current back and forth in Alabama's court system, to the mayor of Houston subpoenaing a pastor's sermons, and yes, ultimately to the upcoming Supreme Court decision on whether or not to legalize same-sex marriages. With this issue bubbling to the surface, I decided to pen a few of my thoughts here.

That being said, I am just listing a few highlights of where I currently stand. As with any online opinion, it can always be misconstrued and taken out of context. Each of the following points could easily be an entire (lengthy) blog post itself, so please be cautious before you rush to judgment of what is listed here. The best way to sort through such a complex issue is in the flesh, but nevertheless, here it goes:

1) Same-sex marriages will become legal in the U.S. 
 There, I said it. It is no longer a matter of "if" this will happen, but simply "when." Many people (myself included) suspect the Supreme Court will rule in favor of same-sex marriages later this year. For Christians, we need to come to terms with this and accept that this is where our culture is. Even if it does not happen this year, it will happen. Just in the past decade I have seen an incredible shift in opinion among the population regarding homosexuality. And this is not my mere opinion, you can check out the facts here as well. Rather than living in denial or nostalgia, Christians need to accept this reality and discover how to live faithfully within it.

2) We need to recognize that 2 marriages are at work in "marriage."
When bans against same-sex marriages are struck down, many will cry that the sky is falling. "Marriage has been redefined and has been polluted." However, we need to recognize that there are 2 aspects to any wedding/marriage. There is the civil/contractual aspect, and the covenant aspect. All a Supreme Court decision will do is redefine the LEGAL/CIVIL definition of marriage. Certainly this will be a symbol of the overall attitudes of our culture, but is does not mean that the covenant of marriage has automatically been redefined as well. I am not married because my wife and I signed a paper in front of an authorized witness, even though this is what the government calls "marriage." I am married because we pledged ourselves to each other in a covenant relationship before a community of Christian believers in the sight of God. I personally am not fond of calling same-sex unions "marriages," but knowing this distinction allows me to accept civil marriages for gays and lesbians while not fearing that my church's definition of covenant marriage has been altered. What is really at stake currently is whether the LGBT community may enjoy the benefits and responsibilities government grants to those who are "married" on paper. And I, for one, am not willing to go on a witch hunt to deny other sinners these civil entitlements because they drink too much, are prideful, or view pornography.

3) The Old Testament doesn't really help us sort through the current debate.
 When you ask Christians what Bible verses condemn homosexual behavior, they will typically point you to the story of Sodom and Gamorrah as well as to Leviticus. The Mosaic law identifies male on male sexual behavior as "an abomination," and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah seems to confirm this condemnation--entire cities destroyed after the men of the city wanted to have sex with Lot's male visitors. However, I don't use these passages anymore. In fact, if all we had were these Old Testament passages, I could easily accept homosexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation.
The problem is our modern concept of "sexual orientation" did not exist in the Old Testament world. Rather, the homoerotic behavior described in the Old Testament was of a different nature. Namely, men typically had sex with other men to shame them. In this sense, homosexual behavior in the Old Testament can be better thought of as sexual assault, rather than as a loving, committed relationship as many envision it today.
Sodom and Gomorrah are a perfect example of this. They wanted Lot's visitors not because of their lust, but because of their violence and lack of hospitality. They wanted to shame and defile these visitors, rather than show them kindness and welcome. If this seems an odd interpretation to you, simply read the rest of the references to Sodom or Gomorrah in the Old Testament. The sin of these cities is not identified as "homosexuality," but is named as violence and injustice. Simply check out Isaiah 1:9-17 where the the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is that they have "blood on their hands." In contrast, the remedy is not chastity, but is to "learn to do right; seek justice, defend the oppressed, take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."
Likewise, the verses about homosexuality in Old Testament law are surrounded by many other verses that we ignore or chalk up to simple cultural instructions that don't apply to us. It should also give us pause when we see that activities like wearing clothes of mixed fabrics, touching dead bodies, and eating shrimp are called "abominations." So, be careful in calling homosexual acts "abominations" unless you stand ready to do the same to your neighbor at Red Lobster.

4) The New Testament leads me to still say homosexuality is a sin.
Before my more conservative friends start getting spitting mad and formulating a response to my anticipated heresy, let me also say that at this moment I still believe homosexual practice is a sin. While I find the Old Testament less than helpful, I cannot get around the verses in the New Testament that address homosexuality. In particular, Romans 1 is a sticking point for me. Here, Paul connects idolatry to men and women engaging in homoerotic behavior. While I have read the explanations and interpretations from LGBTQ advocates, I have simply not found any of those arguments convincing. Additionally, Paul's words do seem to better address our contemporary debate for two reasons.
First, Paul describes the behavior as giving up their "natural" function for something "unnatural." The Greek word Paul uses here is physis, and as far as I can tell it means something embedded within the created order of the world, not simply a cultural conviction. Second, Paul describes the cause of these homoerotic sexual acts as "lust of the heart" and "degrading passions." This seems to be addressing sexual passion, not sexual violence. Indeed, there were individuals in Greek and Roman culture who seem to have preferred homosexual intercourse and who pursued same-sex relationships for lustful/romantic reasons. Perhaps Paul was addressing the custom of adult men having sexual relationships with young boys for pleasure or to instruct those boys about sex, but this doesn't really explain Paul's mention of female-female sex as well in Romans. To me, it seems like Paul is saying there is something about the very act of homosexual sex that runs contrary to nature and to God's will. If this is the case, we are left with the decision of whether to believe the Bible on this topic or to believe our current cultural convictions.

5) Same-sex attraction is NOT a sin.
 While I still maintain that homosexual practice is sinful, I do not believe that simply having same-sex attraction is sinful. I believe there are people who identify as lesbian or gay that will never be able to become straight. Being attracted to those of the same sex is no more sinful than me being tempted to lust after women. The temptation is not the sin. Even Jesus was tempted (perhaps even with same-sex attraction? Heb. 4:15?). The problem is when we choose to act on those temptations--that is what is sinful. The church needs to admit that it will have gay and lesbian members. In fact, we need these people, just like we need married and single straight people. We just need to be cautious in accepting acting upon those attractions.

6) Genetic predisposition does not mean a lifestyle is acceptable.
 One common argument I've heard in defense of homosexuality is that science shows that certain people are predisposed to have same-sex attraction. To be honest, I have not studied the science of homosexuality as much as I should have, but I also find this line of reasoning lacking. To sum up my thoughts here, I think saying it's okay to be gay because of genetic reasons is essentially genetic fatalism. However, we get into dangerous territory if we say that our genetic makeup should determine our behavior in life.
For example, I've read studies about the "warrior gene," which is a gene that might predispose a person to violence. Now, is it acceptable for an individual to kill another human simply because their genes may predispose them towards that action? Of course not. So why do we rush to genetic fatalism when it comes to homosexuality?
Similarly, the argument that "God made me this way" falls apart. Just because your biology may drive you towards certain behaviors does not mean that "God made you that way." Human biology is corrupted like the rest of human life. We should be careful of using the "God made me this way" argument unless we also want to say that God made people with mental retardation and fatal birth defects those ways as well. But in the end, whatever the consensus on the biology of homosexuality ends up being, it cannot be the deciding factor in the rightness or wrongness of a behavior. That moral choice must come from an outside source that is informed, but not determined, by biology.

7) Use caution when arguing for "right side of history."
 With the impending court decisions and growing cultural acceptance of the LGBT community, I have heard the phrase "be on the right side of history" countless times in the past few months. Those inside and outside of the church have urged for complete acceptance of homosexuality because you want to make sure you're "on the right side of history." After all, you don't want to be looked back on as we look back at those who supported slavery and racism.
However, this is an emotional argument more than anything else because it can cut both ways. This same argument has also been used to justify horrible atrocities (most famously by Hitler who saw his Aryan race as the future humanity). While I do want to make sure I am not defending injustice or oppression, I also recognize that sometimes the masses get it wrong. Societal acceptance of an idea does not make it right. Likewise, history does not always progress in a just direction (simply consider that the 20th and 21st centuries have been the most bloody in human history). As long as we live in a fallen world awaiting Christ's return, both history and society will sometimes go astray. So please, drop the "right side of history" crap and actually have an educated, logical discussion.

8) This is one of most crucial debates for church in this generation.
 With that invitation to have a discussion, I also believe that this will be one of the most important discussions within the church of our generation. The reason I believe this is because we are debating over whether or not a particular act is a sin. Therefore, we are either going to get this one very right or very wrong. Either we will end the church's perpetuation of injustice much like we did with slavery decades ago, or we will tragically declare a sin to be an acceptable part of holy living. Either way, the stakes are high.
As such, it is imperative that we not rush into decisions and that we thoroughly study the matter. We need to examine the whole of Scripture to discern what it says and does not say. We need to keep up with the cutting edge of scientific and social research on the issue. We need to have conversations with those actually struggling with (and living out) same-sex attraction.
One of my biggest fears is that we have become too polarized on this issue and have stopped talking with the other side. Instead, we rely on stereotypes and straw-man arguments. Those who advocate for full-acceptance say that calling homosexuality a sin is an injustice akin to racism and constitutes "hate-speech." Those who hold to traditional beliefs dismiss LGBT arguments as part of a "liberal/homosexual agenda" constructed by those who don't believe the Bible.
But the issue is so much more complex than that. For example, I still hold that homosexuality is a sin, but I also do not see my actions as equating anything near racism. I also have struggled long and hard over my own personal beliefs and actually know people who identify as gay or lesbian. To label me a bigot is to dismiss my own story and journey I have been on. Likewise, my friends who also believe homosexuality is a sin need to make friends with the LGBTQ community and listen to Christians who believe differently than them. Again, the stakes are too high to stop listening.

9) The only acceptable gay lifestyle would be in the covenant of marriage.
 Although at this moment I still believe homosexuality to be a sin, I want to maintain the humility to admit that at some point in the future my views may change. Perhaps as I continue to study Scripture, pray for guidance, engage culture, and listen for God's voice I will come to the decision that there is nothing inherently wrong with male-male or female-female sexual expression. However, if (and that's a big "if") I ever came to that conclusion, my sexual ethic would still look very different from the world's. If I could declare gay or lesbian sexual expression as acceptable, I would also be clear that the only appropriate context for this sexual expression would be in the context of a covenantal relationship/marriage. The same standards that currently apply to heterosexual relationships would also apply to lesbian/gay relationships, namely "chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage." Those in same-sex relationships would be expected to abstain from sex and lust until they are married, and would be expected to remain faithful and flee adultery within marriage.
 Ironically, this is one reason why I'm not quick to jump on the cultural bandwagon regarding homosexuality. As I look at my culture, it quite clearly does not reflect Christ's desire for sexuality. Sexual expression outside the context of marriage is becoming increasingly the norm. Whether heterosexual or lesbian/gay, such sexual activity outside the covenant of marriage is clearly in violation of God's desires. In returning to point number 7, this dishonoring of sexuality in our culture makes me all the more cautious to simply follow societal voices that call me to accept homosexuality as a sinless lifestyle.

10) The Church must love the LGBT community and its shift focus to more pressing sins.
 Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Church needs to love and accept the LGBT community. They are still humans and many are Christ-followers. Even when we still confess that homosexuality is a sin, we must do a better job of embracing the person. The church's default position has been to reject both sin and sinner. But these are people the church needs in its ranks.
I admit this is a tough thing to do, but perhaps one thing that will help is if the church becomes a little less sex-obsessed and shifts its focus to more pressing sins. While it is true that "sin is sin," most of us can agree that certain sins are more destructive than others. Honestly, when it comes down to homosexuality or lust and infidelity, the latter two are the more significant in my eyes. As noted in the previous point, it is possible to have a loving, committed gay/lesbian relationship. However, love, trust, and commitment are all abolished in acts of adultery. Likewise, cohabitation presents a much bigger problem to Christians and churches (I think) than does homosexuality. Similarly, divorce rates in the church are just about as bad as in the world. If we really want to insist on talking about sex and marriage, then perhaps we should start with the problems of lust, pornography, adultery, cohabitation, and divorce, matters of which the Bible is abundantly clear, unlike homosexuality which is a little ambiguous at times in the Bible (for reasons named above).
Or perhaps the church could demonstrate to the world that is does care about justice. If the church were more vocal in its opposition to racism, violence, poverty, domestic abuse, and oppression then it would be much harder to label opposition to homosexuality as "hate speech." If we became "pro-life" in all matters, not just on abortion, then perhaps outsiders would be convinced that we really do love all people.

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So there it is. Again, there is so much more that could be said under each point, but that's the short of where I currently am in my journey. Maybe some of these thoughts will help you sort through your own struggles (or maybe not). Feel free to post your opinions and comments below. Just make sure to maintain humility and avoid demonizing others. Thanks!