Is God…
Recently, I received an
e-ad with the subject line: “Is God Anti-Gay?”
The words slapped me in the face, poured ice cold water down my spine,
and caused me to start scurrying through my mental Bible in search of my own
security against the torrents of prejudices.
I wasn’t “stuck” where many might suspect. I am not dismissing the seriousness of
acknowledging the error of discrimination based on sexual preferences. But my reaction wasn’t to the word
“gay”. I barely noticed the word sitting
there at the end of the sentence like a signal flag on a yacht which silently
flaps in the wind hoping to catch attention.
I barely read the sentence at all.
I was stuck in my core by “IS GOD ‘ANTI’”! It is almost as if God and “anti” should
never be used in the same breath.
Thus began my search for
a scriptural “anti”. Show me “anti” my
mind echoed. My brain’s search engine
began looking for times when Jesus was anti-somebody. According to the culture of his time, Jesus must
have been anti-Roman? Instead I found
him greeting and praising the centurion who wanted his servant healed. He eagerly healed the son of a royal
official. Well then, surely Jesus obeyed
the Jewish tradition by being anti-gentiles? Again the answer was no. He took a moment to speak with the Samaritan
woman at the well and he accepted the criticism from the Canaanite woman who
wanted the crumbs from his table of miracles for her daughter. Maybe Jesus was like so many of us, maybe he
hated mindless followers. Yet he continued
to teach his apostles even though he got frustrated when they repeatedly
misunderstood his lessons.
Perhaps he was anti-criminals
and wrongdoers. Yet, over and over again
I discovered him in their midst; the woman caught in adultery who was positioned
to be stoned and the paralyzed man who was lowered through the roof, to name
two. Possibly he was against strangers. Then
I find the parable about the Good Samaritan.
My thoughts continue to search, did he think that women were inferior to
men, a rather common idea. But I remember that although women were often not
permitted in the same room with a gathering of men, he revered the woman who
washed his feet. Likewise, as he was
preparing to die he worried about the women who were weeping and the welfare of
his own mother. Also, the first person he chose to visit after his resurrection
was a woman. No, he was not
anti-feminist.
Wait, I remember! During his lifetime it was forbidden to associate
with someone who was considered unclean.
So, Jesus must have been against anyone who was sick or dead. However, he touched lepers and blind men; the
woman who was hemorrhaging; the lady who was bent over in the temple; the man who
was demon possessed. And wasn’t he the one who called Lazarus from the
tomb? I discovered he wasn’t even
against those who were plotting to kill him.
He never even became anti-Judas who traded loyalty and friendship for
pieces of silver. Nor, was he opposed to
those who caused his crucifixion. As a
matter of record, he begged that they be forgiven. Try as I may, I can’t find a single case
where Jesus was “anti” anyone.
So what did Jesus preach
against? He preached anti-hate. He set the standards of socially acceptable
behavior. I know that he was anti-hunger, anti-homeless, anti-judgmental, anti-callousness,
anti-hate… In other words, Jesus was
anti-“anti-love”. He preached against pre-judging who God loves. He warned us to stop telling God who he must
reject.
I presume the authors of
the book that the ad was promoting want to talk about gay issues. I have no idea whether they are prompting a pro
or con viewpoint but I am sure that they are implying that their stand is God’s
stand. I know that gay-issues are
tremendously important: socially, politically and spiritually. I know so many people
who have suffered from the prejudice generate by ugly misplaced fears and
misinformation on the subject. And there
are so many, who for so long, have suffered terrible indignities. I do not want any of you to
misunderstand. I do know this
discrimination is wrong and that it continues to promote more hate. I am not trying to downplay the significance
of this issue. But, what is disturbing
to me in this moment are all the things upheld as wrong in the name of God. If we listened to the Word of God we should be
unable to endorse anything that did not love.
We would not fight the truth that everyone is loved by God and this
should be enough for us. But we focus on
searching the Rule of Love hoping to find the flaw that will allow us our
prejudices.
In conclusion, my answer to
the question asked by the ad is God is not “anti-gay”. Nor, is God anti anyone. If we truly practice Christianity, we would
not have labels that build fences. We
would offer dignity and respect to everyone. We would obey the command to Love
one another and we would be tripping over each other trying to do this.
Talk to me. Can you find an incident where God rejected
someone? Is God anti-? As the old hymn
says: If God is for us, who can be
against? Therefore let us stand with God
by being pro-everyone.
May we always know the comfort of
God who loves us unconditionally. May we
love our neighbor as our self. And, may
our prejudices be revealed, forgiven and healed. Amen.
Your forever servant,
Dolly+
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