I have to start this article by first saying that as a Bible Believing Christian, based on my interpretation of God’s Holy Text, it is my contention that homosexuality is not only a sin, but wrong in the eyes of God & contrary to His divine plan for mankind. In that, I am not able to support any legislation or agenda that affirms what I believe to be a distortion of God’s will.
The issue of same sex marriage being legalized in our country has become a point of contention for many of her citizens. The right for homosexual couples to wed one another has sparked debate across the United States. In particular, the religious community has had an issue coming to terms with a definitive stance on the matter and that confusion has led to a lot of harsh judgment, cutting critique, and malicious mistreatment of those who identify themselves as same gender loving. As tensions rise, the lack of understanding around homosexuality has resulted in some very hateful statements and hate fueled actions coming from those who would presume to represent the Christ-centered church. This phenomena has not only left the matter of gay rights in question but also the role that those who profess a belief in God should have regarding it.
As I ponder this predicament & its implications, I am reminded of the story of a mother who had given birth to five different children. One of the children had gone on to make a bunch of money on Wall Street, while one of the others had fallen on hard times and had been living in poverty. Another sibling was fresh off of serving a prison sentence, while the fourth was a sister struggling with drugs and alcohol. The fifth child was gay and had recently come out publicly to family and friends alike. The five siblings were all invited back home by the mother for dinner as the mother longed to be around all of her children. The mother’s offspring all arrive at the house but when it is time to eat at the table, an argument begins among the family members. The Wall Street brother didn’t want to be next to his brother plagued with poverty while the brother who had served time felt some kind of way about having to be in a seat next to someone who was gay. The recovering addict complained about having to be at the same table with someone like the Wall Street brother & after a while all of the siblings began to bicker about who could and could not sit at the table. The mother listened to her children until she couldn’t take it anymore. She arose from her seat at the head of the table, raised her hands, and angrily told all of her children to be quiet! She then told her offspring that regardless of how they felt about one another, there were two things that they needed to keep in mind: First, that the table is hers alone and, secondly, that regardless of where they may be stationed in life, the children are hers as well. She told her children that because they were all her children, as long as they were at her table, they may never agree with one another but they will struggle in love and in dialogue. Furthermore, she explained to her children that because the table was hers, they had no right to determine who was allowed to sit at it. In her house, everyone has a seat at the table.
The mother’s lesson rings true for all of us today. We are all children of the Most High God; created and charged with a primary function to exhibit His love to all we encounter. As it relates to same sex marriage or homosexuality in general, whatever side of the fence you may fall on, our call as believers is always to love and not allow that love to be muted by self-righteous rationality. Jesus teaches that the way we show our devotion to God is in the way that we love our brothers and sisters. God desires closeness to His children just as the mother did. And, as we all are privileged to be afforded seats at the table of life, we too must learn to struggle with one another in love and dialogue despite our disagreements and differences.
The debate on same sex marriage being legalized will undoubtedly continue. In fact, the reason that nation has so much of a problem coming up with a definitive stance on the issue is because the church hasn’t. But, whatever is decided and wherever we may find ourselves, two things must never be forgotten: that we all have a command from God to love one another as He loves us and that in that Godly love for humanity, no one is turned away; everyone has a seat at the table.