I’m pretty sure I’m in Florida and it’s Friday as I write this, but I know I’ve missed posting on the days I usually do. This week feels a little like being on the spinning cups ride at the fair – twirling from a set of controversial conversations where the narrative of one is at odds with the other in the Middle East, to another set of complex conversations around the issue of being gay and faithful to God’s Word.
I got home from Israel/Palestine on Tuesday so that I could be in MN for a conversation we hosted Wednesday night at our church between two friends – Jeff Chu and Wesley Hill. Both happen to be gay Christian men who are trying to faithfully follow Jesus as best they can.
What do the Middle East and sexuality have in common? Well-meaning, broken, faithful people are trying to find their way in a world that often feels hostile and unsafe.
The Wednesday night conversation was rich and honest and gentle. The overwhelming response I got from people afterwards was, “I can’t believe how gracious and kind the tone of the whole evening was…how thoughtful and respectful both guys were.”
Yep, it’s sad that this is not what we’ve come to expect from dialog in the church over things we disagree about. Why is that? Why is there this anxiety about needing to be “right”? Why do we use the Bible as an weapon to bash the other rather than an instrument of love to guide our conversations? Continue reading
