Having said that - I am reminded of how things have happened in my own life. Many people that I have come in contact with during my Spiritual walk with the Lord HAVE KNOWN me, and even now that they have the knowledge that I am a Gay Christian, STILL KNOW me as a caring, loving person that seeks for the Lord's will in my life and in my walk with the Lord. God Forbid - I'm not boasting here about myself, just bear with me here to see where I am going with this.....
We came into the knowledge of a local family who was burned out of their house. Their furnace exploded .... they lost everything. Thank the Lord the Mother and her two children's lives were spared! I said I would help. And our church plans on helping more. We were told that they were from a "Fundamentalist" church. And their own church when they went to them for help, did NOTHING !!!! As a former "pentecostal" I wonder if this church is viewing this misfortune as "Judgement" from God, so helping this family in need would be "opposing" GOD'S WILL and softening PUNISHMENT TO THEM.....
I bought some new clothes and a coat for the older son. It was a joy for me to see him get some "cool" clothes, especially since I don't have any children of my own. IT BLESSED ME to be able to do this. And it blessed him.
When he thanked me, I told him to thank the Lord, because I was only doing what I felt the Lord was telling me to do - showing God's Love to someone in need. I said several times that I thanked the Lord for saving them from the fire/explosion. That it was truly a miracle that they got out in time.
That's when it re-dawned on me. A dear sister of ours told us about the family, and went with me when we got the son the clothing told me that she thought we had "CHANGED MINDS" about how this ONE INDIVIDUAL YOUNG MAN, and by extension THIS ONE INDIVIDUAL FAMILY [WHO HAD BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY AND DOGMATICALLY TAUGHT IN THEIR FUNDAMENTALIST CHURCH THAT GAY AND LESBIAN PEOPLE ARE "ABOMINATIONS TO GOD" AND ALL GOING TO HELL], that IN OPPOSITION TO THEIR TEACHINGS, some Gay people know, love, listen to the Lord AND EVEN OBEY the voice of the Lord in their lives. And that some Gay people actually Love God and other people.......WHAT AN EARTH-SHATTERING TRUTH!!!!! Who was being a "Neighbor" to them? Their own church? This "other church" that didn't know them? This just sounds so similar to the "Levite" and the Samaritan......the "LEGALISTIC Believer" and the SIMPLE LISTENER TO GOD.
When "Organized Religion" and especially when joined with an Organized Political Party changes the course of things, by taking advantage of a Bigoted and Discriminatory Dogma, the one thing that is left to make a difference is BEING AN EXAMPLE OF THE LOVE OF GOD IN OUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES AND WALK WITH GOD. CHANGING ONE PERSON, ONE FAMILY AT A TIME - NOT BY TRYING TO VERBALLY CONVINCE THEM THAT THEIR TEACHING AND DOCTRINE IS WRONG, BUT BY SHOWING THEM CHRIST WITHIN US........THE FRUITS OF GOD"S LOVE IN OUR LIVES!!!!!
I read an article in the Star Tribune called "There is No Tomorrow" by Bill Moyer that really moved me. He said "One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is that the Delusional is no longer marginal. It has come in from the fringe, to sit in the seat of power in the Oval Office and in Congress. For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington.
Theology asserts propositions that cannot be proven true; ideologues hold stoutly to a worldview despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality. When ideology and theology couple, their offspring are not always bad but they are always Blind. And therein is this danger: voters and politicians alike, Oblivious to the Facts."
May we all reflect the Love of God into these dark corners of "religious" Bigotry and Discrimination wielded "in the name of GOD"........I have to think that TRUTH will eventually prevail, but only if WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE VESSELS OF THAT TRUTH AND LIGHT TO DISPELL THE DARKNESS THAT IS RAMPANT ALL AROUND US.........The Peace of Christ be with You. Much Love in Jesus, Byron
