Thoughts for today...

Today I have a heavy heart.  My heavy heart comes from the responses I have heard towards the passing of Amendment One- the accusations that Christians are closed-minded and hateful.  Or, that NC did some awful thing by passing the Amendment. Normally I don't voice my opinions of politics too loudly because, to be quite honest, I don't think people's minds are going to be changed by a blog post or a Facebook post.  But, I can't help but speak up.  Marriage is not an issue that can be taken lightly.  We as Christians are called to love God and love people and I believe that voting for this amendment was the loving thing to do.  By voting yes, I was not stating that I hated those in a homosexual relationship but rather I was stating that marriage is a God ordained relationship that exists between one man and one woman and is the closest earthly example we have of God and His church.  The government did not define marriage- God did.  If we change something so fundamental to our society how are we then to understand Christ-like love?  How do we explain that to our children or our children's children if the marriage covenant is distorted?  A marriage of one man and one woman has been the building block of this society and the proven healthiest way to rear children.  This would be lost if God's design of marriage is also lost.

Please know that I believe with all my heart that God calls us to love those who may be homosexual or who struggle with same-sex attraction even though we may not understand.  We should not condone their actions but nonetheless we are to love them with a John 15:13 type of love.  Didn't Christ lay down his life for those very people?  Fundamentally we are all alike- sinners in need of a Savior.

Let me end with a quote from a pretty well known pastor here in NC.  I think this about sums it up and articulates what I am trying to say far better than I ever could:

"Influencing our government to be more fair, moral, and just in its laws is what Jesus meant by being salt and light, and He commanded us to do it. But again, governmental laws are not, by a long shot, our primary domain. We, the church, are a new community, a separate one, “called out” to be strangers and aliens, the Apostle Peter says, to showcase the kingdom of God in our midst. Thus our primary mission is to serve our community, to “wash their feet,” to lay down our lives for them, and to preach Jesus to all.

That is our real mission, and we need to get to it."