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It's Not About The People

It would be easy to go in two directions on this marriage question we're all been talking about lately, and neither of them are good.

I could simply thump the Bible here and there, unwilling to recognize that the most sophisticated advocates of same-sex marriage know the texts as well as I do, not in any way making human contact with these sinners or their allies.

I could also confess the truth of traditional teaching joylessly, almost reluctantly, and I can allow myself to be moved emotionally by the scenes of same-sex couples gaining legal recognition.

With respect to the first case, I'm going to say that I understand sinners. If you sin, that means in that moment, whatever it is has become more valuable to you than the God of the universe. We know intellectually how stupid that is. If you're a sinner, however,--and not in the theoretical--you know that reality in your own life; it's not just a pious guilt-trip you give to Johnny-Bob. It sounds good in fundraising letters; Christian leaders do it all the time.

In the second case, I don't want to be moved by what is disordered! Why are you doing that? You might be sitting there thinking, "But this group of 'biblically-faithful' Christians has so profoundly failed to love that this is why I'm moved! This is why they are here, because of us!" Stop it, right now. This isn't remotely true. Sinners sin because they love a created thing more than God. It's not hard. If that isn't you, you are not responsible. I love these thoughtful evangelicals; penance is a heresy and beyond the pale, but trying to be the Lamb of God Himself isn't.

Repent for failing to love, if indeed you have. I'm not stopping you. But stop giving Satan a foothold, by pretending that you can affirm the truth, while letting your own feelings deny it. "My delight is in the law of the Lord."
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