This today (FEB 27, 2019) from the Des Moines Register quoting “one church delegate” about the UMC decision: “The One Church Plan does not agree with the words of our savior and in so doing deceives young persons into believing that same gender marriage is OK with God when clearly it is not,”
Let’s be clear and honest. In all of the Gospels, there is NOT ONE SINGLE WORD attributed to Jesus that hints in any way that sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or who one marries is in any way NOT “OK with God.” Whatever other citations one might glean from Scripture on the subject, Jesus NEVER SAID A WORD against LGBTQ persons. Period. To attempt to put such words into the mouth of Jesus is uneducated at best, dishonest at worst.
I do understand that a number of believers honestly and passionately hold opinions on this and other subjects about which I will disagree. That’s fine. Even if I think you are wrong, you have that right. But we need to be honest in the debate.
Jesus Christ invites us to bring our burdens, so that the Body of Christ might share the load, heal the wounds, bind up the broken hearts, lift up the crushed and oppressed, and engage the power of God’s Holy Spirit so that our spirits might be made whole again. I see no way in which Christ desires the Church, or believers in Christ to exclude, ostracize, or punish fellow travelers.
One day every one of us will stand before our Creator, the broken bits of our life’s history in our hands, to give account for what we have done. I have plenty of actions to answer for, when I have hurt others, and failed to reflect the love of God, but I have no fear to account for the times when I extended God’s grace in love. I believe that God’s love is quite sufficient to cover all my shortcomings and hurt places, and all those of my neighbors, as well.
What I have given into the shadow of God’s grace and refused to condemn I am not worried about answering for. God’s reconciling love is sufficient for me, and for all my neighbors. Even for the ones who would build a wall to keep others outside of God’s love.
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