It is absolutely ridiculous what is going on in today’s
world. I have never seen more hatred
towards one another than I have in the last year, and the worst part is people
claim to hate in the name of Jesus Christ.
How is this even acceptable?
I have been very, very lucky throughout my life and was
raised in a family that was generally very accepting as far as I could tell. I went to great schools where there was little
bullying. I attended a liberal arts college
that was diverse enough to get me out of my protected shell, but still very
accepting as far as I could tell. I
think the first time I ever encountered this hatred, prejudice, and nonacceptance was when I first started dating a black guy (but even that was
very, very, very minor and played a very minor role in the relationship if any). So, needless to say, seeing and hearing all
of this hatred towards people that are different from us or put us out of our
comfort zone has not just surprised me, but hurt me as I basically had my rose
colored glasses on (and a lot of times by choice).
In July 2011, PC(USA) passed amendment 10-A which changed
ordination standards in a way that removes an obstacle for homosexuals to be
ordained. Following this, many churches
decided to leave the denomination and there are still quite a few that are in
talks of doing this. The denomination
made headlines and attracted attention from everyone, much of which was not
great. I will never forget introducing
myself to someone at a church of a different denomination last year and when
they found out I am Presbyterian, asked me if I supported 10-A. I gave them a very vague answer because I
didn’t want to get into it then and got a very dirty look and heard the word “unchristian”
whispered under her breath.
At the most recent General Assembly for PC(USA), one of the
things on the agenda was discussing a change in language in regards to marriage
(looking to allow for marriage of homosexuals in the denomination). My facebook and twitter accounts blew up with
people complaining about this and listing the thousands of reasons it was “unchristian”.
Now, we are all bombarded with this news surrounding
Chik-Fil-A and their support of anti-gay organizations. We can’t get away from this as it is on every
search engine, news station, facebook news feed, twitter feed, and in thousands
of conversations. We know everyone’s
stance on the issue and whether or not they are eating at the restaurant.
So here is my question to everyone, regardless of where you
stand on the issue of discrimination, prejudice, hatred, excommunication,
diversity, discomfort, and any other word that fits- As you sit there and tell
the other side that they are “unchristian”, “heathens”, “lost”, “confused” and “wrong”
have you looked at yourself and your own personal actions?
Throughout the Bible (which many people are thumping to
support their case), we are told of God’s love for all of God’s children. Jesus Christ shows love for “the least of
these” as he eats with sinners and tax collectors, those that the rest of the
community wanted nothing to do with. We
are told to not just love our neighbors, but also to love our enemies. Paul writes letters to multiple congregations
to talk about coming together as one single body in Christ. And yes, the places that people turn to in
order to back up their viewpoints are there, but I wonder if these people have
taken the time to think about the situations in which these parts of text were
written? I am not going to sit here and
try to break down every passage, but I just think that is a good question for
everyone to ask themselves.
So this is what it all boils down to for me-
WE (a very worldwide, inter-denominational, inclusive and
collective WE) are in no place to make judgments on one another. Rather, WE are called to act as one single
body, never neglecting or casting out another part because if we do the body
does not function properly. EVERY single
person has their own faults, and rather than pointing fingers at everyone else
should take a look at themselves. Sin is
sin is sin in my book. As WE judge each
other for committing sins, WE are committing our own sins. And who will be the one to make the final decision
about how we lived our life? I promise you it isn’t anyone here today. I don’t care what your religion is-
Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, or even Atheist- even if you aren’t turning to a
Bible or Qur'an, morals are morals. In my
mind, having good morals includes not making judgments of one another.
God has taken a huge weight off of our shoulders by giving
us the freedom to NOT have to judge, and taking that job for God’s self. I promise our thoughts on the matter won’t
effect that decision either. There is
only one single person that knows what is truly right, and that person isn’t
anyone here. So let’s drop all of this
insanity and come together as a single body of different races, ethnicity,
sexuality, and religions. We are all different
for a reason, and when we require that everyone be like ourselves that reason is
ignored and the incredible diversity that makes up this world is erased. We travel to experience other cultures- but if we are all the same there are no different cultures.
And really- think about who else is effected before you cast
these judgments. When that one single
person is excluded for whatever reason, their family and friends are affected
as well even if they are not part of the supposed “problem”.
Just a thought…
