A Few Quick Thoughts on Pride Month
How do we embrace both love and truth?
LGBT+ Pride Month fills me with many thoughts and feelings. On the one hand, my life is little affected by issues of other persons’ sexuality. I do my utmost to treat everyone with kindness and courtesy wherever I go. I respect that the law grants freedom for consenting adults to engage in sexual activity as they will and I fully support the rights to freedom of speech, religion, and assembly.
On the other hand, the LGBTQIA+ movement has a great and growing impact on my life, because it directly affects how I am viewed by society. Sexuality is no longer seen as something people do, but something they are, and the variety of things they can be is ever increasing. Acceptance of such persons no longer means simply treating them with courtesy, but fully confirming their thoughts and feelings on moral grounds.
This presents a difficulty for me as a Christian committed to historic orthodoxy, which is to say not simply that I “believe what the Bible says,” but that I accept how it has been interpreted in the mainstream for 2,000 years: any sexual activity outside of the marriage of a man and woman is a sin. This includes not only homosexual activity, but adultery and fornication. It also includes all forms of lust and sexual violence.
I am convinced from my analysis of the biblical text that this interpretation is in line with the intent of the authors. Not only that, but since I believe the Bible is the Word of God, breathed out by the Holy Spirit, representing His true thoughts, I conclude that this interpretation is in line with God’s will. As a creature, I am compelled to acknowledge the truth of my Creator, regardless of what anyone else thinks.
However, I also acknowledge the very clear teaching of Scripture that all human beings are created in the image of God and thus endowed with inherent worth. We are to love all persons, whether friends or enemies. We are all sinners, having rebelled against God and in need of His grace to restore us to righteousness and relationship.
I therefore see myself as no better than any other person on the face of the earth. To the extent that my actions are more in line with God’s law, they are that way solely because of divine grace. I am to focus less on the speck in another’s eye than the plank in my own. I am to realize that I, even I, am just as guilty as anyone else.
I am never to deny kindness to anyone. I am never to fail to love. Of course, part of that includes warning others if I believe them to be in immanent danger, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. There is no separation between love and truth.
The Church has often forgotten these principles when relating to LGBTQIA+ individuals. All human beings are filled with selfishness and pride, and this often manifests in self-righteousness and judgmentalism. We forget the grace we have been afforded and deny grace to others. For this, the Church must repent.
This does not, however, mean that the Church ought to forget the teachings of scripture, for I am convinced that God created human beings to flourish and has provided instruction in His Word that promotes such flourishing. Sexuality fulfills its purpose and does no harm when it occurs in line with God’s Word. When it deviates from that Word, it can bring about many unintended and painful consequences.
If I deny God’s Word to earn the favor of today’s society, then I love the kingdom of this world more than the kingdom of God. That may cause me to be loved and lauded while I reside on this earth, but I am thinking now of eternity. How can I stand before my God and tell Him that I enjoyed the approval of the world more than His approval?
Therefore, I conclude that it is not my job to change every mind. I am not to go around shouting people down and picketing. I am to speak truth when the moment is appropriate, but mostly I am to live a life of faithfulness, perhaps even obscurity. I am to look to the city that has foundations, where redeemed sinners dwell.
My sacrifice, such as it is, is nothing. I suffer no great denial of liberty at the present time. My regard is high for those who, although tempted to sexual activity not in line with God’s Word, are endeavoring to live a celibate life, making their bodies living sacrifices for the Lord. This is an exceptional level of faithfulness far beyond what is asked of me.
If I adopt society’s thinking about sexuality, I spit upon the sacrifice of my celibate brother and sisters. I tell them their great efforts at sanctification, their daily reliance upon the Spirit, is pointless. How could I do that in good faith?
My conclusion is this: Remember your Creator. Love every human being. Give grace as you have been given grace. Rely on the Spirit to make you faithful. Walk not in pride, but in humility. And above all, love.
(Note: As the title indicates, these are only a few quick thoughts about this issue. They are not intended to represent a full argument or consideration of the topic. This article was previously published at amymantravadi.com.)
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I read this with trepidation, as often such musings turn sour; by the end I was encouraged by your care and clarity. Specks and planks, indeed! Remembering just how sinful we are is vital, and so is bearing in mind that “with the measure that you judge, so it will be measured back to you” (Matt 7:2). I am called to live in a certain way, and to obey God’s commands myself. It’s not for me to project that on to anybody else’s life.
Good post.