Redefining Marriage and Good Friday Implications

My heart has been heavy this Holy Week. I’m sure yours has, too. The courts are hearing about whether they should redefine marriage. There have been a whirlwind of blogs, quick-witted Tweets, and well-thought articles surrounding this issue. In all of this, I see the darkness. The darkness that brings us the reason for today, Good Friday. Yet, I see the darkness in my own heart more than anything going on out there.

My Facebook and Twitter feeds have been FULL of posts and comments about gay marriage. Ironically, some of the most unloving posts have come from those who profess Christ. Christians are reacting out of fear and out of anger instead of responding in love and grace. We are more concerned with keeping the darkness out of sight than we are invading the darkness to show the love of Christ to the broken.

We are railing against and petitioning the government on this when the problem isn’t the government, it’s the population. The population of America has left God out of their decision making, that’s what led to this mess. That’s what led to China’s atrocities. Our hope here is definitely not legislating morality. Because that will change in the next 20 years if the population doesn’t change. Our hope is the gospel going forward, and trusting God’s ultimate reign over this country and the world.

A perfect example of the gospel going forward is what Pope Francis did on Maundy Thursday, going against tradition and washing the feet of women prisoners, one of whom was a Muslim.

This is where I feel the darkness in my own heart. Would I be able to wash a Muslim’s feet? Would I be able to wash a gay man’s feet? Would I really be able to show these people the love of Christ?

Is a homosexual couple a Biblical marriage? No. We shouldn’t be ashamed to say that, but we shouldn’t say this in a way that pushes people away from Christ. Yes, the gospel will soften some hearts and harden others, but let the gospel do that work. Don’t let it be because we react out of anger, fear, and frustration and communicate truth unlovingly.

Yes, Jesus died for those who practice the sin of homosexuality, and that should break our hearts. It should not only break our hearts that Jesus had to die, but that He died for them. He cared enough to love them like this, so should we.

And, the reality is that when we react out of anger, fear, and frustration instead of displaying Christ’s love, He died for those sins, too.

The worst part about Good Friday is that it wasn’t the pagan Gentiles who shouted “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” It was the Pharisees. It was the Jews. It was God’s people.

While Jesus would have been more likely to wash the feet of those steeped in homosexuality even as He called them to repent, the reality is that we Christians, you and I, would have been more likely to crucify Jesus for not being who we thought He should be.