Politicians care. Many religious people care. Gay and lesbian activists care, and gay couples care. Recently our state’s Governor signed into law, [sort of], the ability for homosexuals to get married in our state. The last two pastor groups I met with held impromptu conversations on this topic. I seemed to be the least passionate one in the room when this topic comes up. So I am going to try to explain my lack of passion.
I saw two interviews of the Pastor of First Baptist Church in Seattle and his male partner after our Governor signed the bill. One of the interviews took place in their home with shots of them working in the kitchen and sitting on the couch. In the past year this gay couple got married in Washington DC as they did not want to wait for it to become legal in Washington State. The wedding did something for them and they tried to explain it. The feeling I got from these interviews was that by having their marriage recognized by the state (even if was not where they reside) validated their commitment to each other. Public affirmation and legalization made their relationship more real and special.
I was saddened by their comments. I am not a fan of Baptist pastors promoting gay marriage but I accept that reality – within principles of soul freedom and autonomy of the local church. What troubled me was that people of faith need or desire the state to validate their beliefs and convictions. I married Lillian based on vows I made to her, she to me, and us to God. I do not think the state’s affirmation of our union made an iota of a difference in our relationship. God trumps state.
The Jesus movement has never needed the government to agree with it to move forward. Thanks be to God! So what do I think about homosexual marriage? I think the government should get out of the marriage business. Civil unions are about the protections and rights of individuals and marriage is about covenantal relationships. A state has a right with its citizenship to decide what a civil union is and is not, but I will never allow my state to determine what I believe marriage to be. If a state determines homosexuals and heterosexuals have rights to civil unions I am ok with that. If they stay confused like they are now and think they can define marriage for me, they cannot and I will consider them confused and replace their term marriage with civil union in my mind.
The church of Jesus Christ will not fall apart because a government allows homosexual marriage or unions. There is no such thing as a Christian nation. Even if every citizen is a follower of Jesus Christ only the followers will pass from this life to the next, the nation will be left behind.
As a pastor I will not perform gay or lesbian marriages for the same reason I will not marry people who do not want a marriage with Christ as their center.
Too many times I have heard a terrible joke from believer in Jesus that degrades people seriously dealing with the homosexual issue. The one liner I am referring to usually comes out something like “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” It is also bad theology if you play it out. There are many results from [living] being in a fallen world. Some can be fixed or cured, some we have to learn to live with, and some necessitate restrictions of freedoms to pursue greater good. The natural projection of the “Adam and Steve” statement would be if we cannot cure birth defects the child should be discarded because God did not design us to have birth defects.
I have no doubt homosexuality was not part of God’s design for creation. The list is huge in terms of what we have now that was not a part of God’s design.
Our goal (followers of Jesus) is to partner with Jesus in adding good to God’s good {but very tainted creation.} History has taught us that often we are more effective when we do not rely on governments to do our calling for us. I will not lose sleep over homosexual marriage in my State but will lose sleep over caring for the lost and hurting.
Allow me to end by quoting Jesus Mark 20:25 “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
The Fourth of July is coming. A time of explosions, fireworks, family gatherings, and parades all combined to form the celebration of the Independence of the United States of America. As a child I remember a huge celebration on our 200th year anniversary, I was very proud to be an American on that day and still am today. Today I am less naive about the mixed history of good and evil we as a country have participated in but still very happy to be a citizen of this great country.
