I was hanging out with some artists and thinkers and risk-takers the other night. And as it often happens when people learn that I serve through New Direction, folks began to share with me about their gay friends.
Seems these days that more often than not, Christ-followers have gay friends. This is a good thing. This is a great thing. What is not so great is that we Christians seem to struggle so much with how to navigate these friendships.
The conversations the other night were alive and vibrant. I heard people speak of how their gay friends were so different from one another .... (seems to punch holes in the old stand-by term, "gay lifestyle"). They shared about straining to listen to the whisper of the Spirit as they sipped Starbucks with their friends. They spoke of a deep, deep desire for these friends, whom they have come to love, to know God ~ and of their struggle to nurture and facilitate a God-connection rather than impede that. And they spoke of emerging into a kind of robust love that rests in God while feeling free to enjoy and delight in their gay friends - just as they are.
The conversations seemed to sing with the life-giving presence of Jesus.
"Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!" Eph. 1:7
Oh Lord ~ you exist in relationship and you have formed us for relationship. Pour your relational delight into our friendships. Might our times of connection sing with the Life of Jesus. Help us to rest in the freedom of trusting you with our loved ones. Show up. Be Glorified. Amen.
-WG
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
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2 comments:
Wendy,
I like your reiterating the need for accepting and affirming relationships with persons, acknowledging that none of us are perfect. But I can’t help but wonder if your efforts will simply go the way of SoulForce, affirming GLBT behavior not as a human failing, but merely as a point along Kinsey’s spectrum of human sexuality.
I guess I was particularly bothered by your Biblical quotation from Ephesians 1:7, skipping the fact that Paul is writing to “the saints who are in Ephesis.” (Eph 1:1b). Bible study shows that “saints” refers not to perfect people, but to redeemed people who have turned from following human fault-lines to a life-commitment for following the Way of Love and Righteousness revealed in Christ Jesus, (Cf. 1Corinthians 6:9-11)
Thanks for commenting.
For a better understanding of the mission, vision and values of New Direction Ministries, which I lead, please check out: www.newdirection.ca
To clarify, my use of the Ephesians text in this post was referring to the Christ-followers who were engaging gay friends who were not in relationship with Christ. My intention with the text was to reiterate that as Christ-followers we are abundantly free to engage in meaningful friendships with unbelievers (gay or straight), to enjoy them as friends, and to entrust them to God. I find that when it comes to gay friends, Christians often feel an 'extra' burden to try to get them to think and act as Christians do .... But to be honest, I think people can smell that kind of agenda a mile away. Rather, I would encourage Christ-followers to simply be real and authentic in their friendships - free if you will - and allow the presence of the Holy Spirit to do the wooing and convincing. I think God is big enough - and God can be trusted with our friends.
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