Today’s scripture: Psalm 67 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Lynnette Pullen):
I may be “preaching to the choir” on this one, but I feel a strong push to write about some things that have been heavy on my heart lately. The big debate in our culture right now is the acceptance of gay marriage and reconciling the seemingly contradictory terms of “gay Christian.” As I read and contemplated Psalm 67, it seemed as though there has always been division in God’s kingdom. The psalmist appears to be praying for unity across nations and cultures. Even though this was in biblical times and therefore harder to relate to, the great cultural divide is still very prevalent in recent history and today.
For example, we used verses in Deuteronomy and Daniel to justify racism and create laws against interracial marriage. I say “we” not because I participated, but “we” as followers of Christ. As more people began to marry and outwardly protest this prejudice, we were forced to review scripture again. We realized we were wrong. As a nation, we are still trying to right those wrongs. Then we used scripture to sanction women from preaching God’s word. 1 Corinthians appears to clearly state that women should not speak in church, calling it “disgraceful.” As women began to feel led to preach and were truly gifted in leading people to Christ, we had to look back at scripture and do more research. Oops, wrong again. Now, here we are with same-sex and gender prejudice. We use verses in Leviticus and Romans to justify division and hate toward a group of people in the name of God Almighty. I can’t help but see the weird irony in this pattern of hate that spans across hundreds of years.
Prejudice is hurtful, divisive, and causes ripple effects of hate that lasts for generations. It is a harmful and painful mindset on both sides. However, I think the underlying, more subtle sin is even more sinister. Whenever we decide a group of people are wrong, for whatever reason, and make the decision to exclude them from the kingdom of Christ, what harm are we causing? Do we realize the damage we cause by creating laws and sanctions against others who are trying to serve God? Did we get so caught up in right and wrong that we missed the big picture? Didn’t Paul say, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” When did exclusivity become a fruit of love? Since we have a history of making monumental mistakes, it only makes sense to me to err on the side of caution and include everyone in the Kingdom of God. The bigger question that we, as nations, preachers, politicians, teachers, parents, lawmakers, churches, and followers of Christ, have to ask ourselves is: “What if we are wrong?” What if we have interpreted the scriptures incorrectly, and our making laws against others turns millions of people away from Christ? I am not a scholar in religious studies, but it appears very clear to me that Jesus was way more upset with the lawmakers and the self righteous rather than the “sinners.” Maybe we should focus our efforts on uniting rather than dividing.
I agree with the need to want be sure to follow scripture and adhere to God’s direction. I also understand that those who oppose same-sex marriage feel that it’s against God’s will and don’t want scriptures “twisted to fit the ways of the world.” I hear that very clearly and can definitely relate. The irony is that that is exactly what we have unintentionally done in the past. In the name of upholding the sanctity and sacred nature of God’s Word we have committed horrible crimes of prejudice and hate against millions of people. George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” Even if mindsets don’t change, at least we can be more inclusive and make efforts to lead others to Christ just as they are and leave the rest to God.
Prayer for the day: God, thank you so much for personifying your diverse and creative nature in us. Sometimes our differences prevent us from uniting and tend to push non-believers as well as believers away from you. Forgive us, God, for we know not what we do. Help us to put aside our differences and learn to unite for your glory. Amen.
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