Let's Get Real

I had very little response to my blog last week about attending a gay “wedding.” It may be that those who read were simply busy or it could be an indication of what I see as the current state of affairs among western Christians - that is, “don’t talk about it.” When it comes to the all-encompassing LGBTQI+ movement, it seems to me that it all gets classed in the political arena, making Christians hesitant at best, and terrified at worst, to either bring up the subject, or to engage in discussion about it. So, on this Ash Wednesday, let’s get real. Let’s do whatever repenting may be necessary. (If I am nothing else, I am real. That’s how I get into so much trouble. I especially love being in trouble for Jesus.)

Earlier this week I engaged in some light conversation, with the young man at the counter where I get my coffee. He is obviously gay, or at least supportive of the lifestyle, based on the rainbow necklace he was wearing with a cross in the middle of it. It broke my heart that he should be so deceived. So I smiled and asked him about the sparkly pink nail polish he was wearing - told him the polish was pretty and eye-catching. He came alive after his initial hesitancy. His eyes quickly downcast when I mentioned the polish until he realized I was complimenting it. Once he felt safe with my question, he brightened and explained that he had a lot of different colors and the sparkles were a top coat. I listened, neither condemning nor condoning. Do you think I was condoning because I told him the polish was pretty? I told the truth. It was pretty. And it would look pretty on the ends of anyone’s fingers. The fact that it looked ridiculous to me on a boy’s nails, does not negate the truth that the polish with it’s sparkle was pretty. Otherwise, it might not have caught my eye.

When I left the store, even though he was serving the next customer, he looked my way and wished me a good day. I shot him my best smile and returned the good wish. It’s really quite simple. During the brief time with that young man, I was IN the world but not OF it. He was wearing pink nail polish. I was wearing my Biker Betty leather jacket with the Rev Dr patch on it.

Further to last week’s blog, I’ve listened to some of the outcry to Begg and the arguments are mostly the same. It’s not a “wedding” seems to be the thread running through all the arguments. That’s why I ended my blog by referring to it as a “party” - regardless of how we define what is happening, it is a celebration in the life of a family member. To deliberately not be there, may be cause for missed witness opportunity. Certainly not being there, means we miss a hug we might have given or received during those precious moments. We missed creating a positive memory. In considering how we live our lives in the face of sinfulness, we have to decide what memories we want to leave. Do we want to leave the memory of a hug with a whisper, “I love you” in their ear, or no memory at all because we weren’t there. Do we want them to remember we loved them even though we disagreed with them? Do we want to honor the fact that they cared enough to send the invitation even though they knew we disagreed? Of course, not all invitations in every instance need to be accepted. But we do need to decide how many other doors may close when we deliberately close one. What we do deliberately needs to be an outflow of who we are in Christ, not a struggle between good and evil. Because that war has already been won.

The young man at the coffee counter? Lord willing, I’ll see him again and he’ll be willing to talk to me because he knows I think his pink nail polish is pretty.

Prayer:

Father, please help us to discern the tough stuff and not shy away from it. Help us to be boldly in the world, but not a part of it. Help us to hear your voice so we may have a voice in this wicked world. For your glory. Amen.