I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do believe I have the Spirit.
I am listening, searching, and progressing as I grow in Grace.
Paul, in scripture, realized that with certain issues, there was no specific command from the Lord from which to gain guidance. In response, he sided with Grace and a listening to the Spirit as the foundation from which He gave instruction.
Enter, gay marriage.
If you are a follower of my writings and teachings, you will know that I do not believe all homosexuality is a sin. In other places (here), I share in detail my understanding of the six “clobber” passages that are commonly proof-texted to declare homosexuality as sin.
Yet, I am often asked to address the biblical narrative of the Garden of Eden where we have Adam and Eve, male and female, and in the minds of many, that is ample evidence that God does not support homosexuality nor gay marriage.
Well, to be sure, the Garden of Eden is the first, ideal model. It is a place of wholeness at every level. Yet, it is clear, we are no longer in Eden, and not everything in Eden is transferred nor always transferable to life outside of Eden. Jesus recognized this.
Maybe I should repeat that… Jesus recognized this.
In Eden, to be sure we have Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, I’ll give you that. But we also don’t have Adam and Eve plus Susie if things don’t work out. Yet, interesting enough, Jesus made allowance for life outside of Eden. He exchanged the ideal for the real. In regards to the issue of divorce and remarriage, he added to the model of Eden a new reality… divorce under certain circumstances. In Eden, divorce and remarriage was not the model, but Jesus brings it outside of Eden as, in certain situations, a new, faithful, authentic, God honoring possibility.
Wow.
It is interesting to me, that not only do we not have divorce and remarriage in Eden, we also don’t have adoption.
The only model for children and parenting in Eden is biologically connected. The reality that parents can have children without biological congruency of origin is unheard of in Eden. That parents can have children unnaturally, going against the biological, genetic, reproductive model of Eden is absent from Eden. It’s no where to be found.
Yet, adoption is found outside of Eden, and it is just as real, beautiful, authentic, and faithful as the model of biological parenting we see in Eden. I have two biological children (Eden) and two adopted children (outside of Eden) and I can tell you, there is no difference. They are our children purely and equally. No distinctions whatsoever. None.
So is the case with gay marriage. It is not the model of Eden, but that does not determine it cannot be a faithful, authentic, God honoring reality outside of Eden.
From Jesus, we have no command about bi-racial marriage, it’s not in Eden, but we do have the Spirit. And the Spirit has progressed us to affirmation, to see the beauty that God always saw.
From Jesus, we have no command about adoption, it’s not in Eden, but the Spirit has shown us its authenticity and God-delighting.
From Jesus, we have no command about homosexual marriage, it is not in Eden, but we do have the Spirit. The Spirit, that is always challenging our understanding of what can be authentic, beautiful, and affirmed in the mind of God.
Adoption, remarriage, bi-racial marriage, gay marriage…
Can be.
Is.
The Spirit.
Affirmation.
…words to ponder.
Hello,
I am writing this with tear streaming down my face and with a heart so full I don’t know if I can contain it. I’ve never questioned my queerness, as long as I’ve known myself, I’ve accepted my attraction for males and females. I had also accepted all that my conservative fundamental Christian faith’s teachings have said about homosexuality a d homosexual relationships as sinful and at some point in my life decided that yes, I have homosexual tendencies but will try earnest to never act on them. That changed almost three years ago when I met an amazing woman. For the past two and a half years we’ve been together and I have been reluctant to commit to the relationship because I was having trouble reconciling my faith teachings and our relationship. I could not see how I can remain a faithful Christan while persuing a homosexual relationship. I have been making attempts to relearn the Bible and my faith from a more affirming lens yet has still been struggling. Yesterday, after much prayer and fasting I took the step of committing to this woman with the intention of finally working towards marriage. Interestingly, I knew I still had reservations and I’ve been asking God to lead me to something that gives me assurance that my love for her, the spiritual powerhouse that I know our union to be, is affirmed by God. A friend shared your post “Why I cannot vote for Trump; The Bible Tells me so” and I thought it was so wonderful so I did some googling of you, and then was browsing here a bit and came upon this. I was in tears before I could finished and had to take a moment to offer up a prayer of thanksgiving. I have no doubt that God led me here, that God inspired you to pen these words for this precise moment. Thank you for allowing the Lord to us you. I am immensely blessed by this and cannot wait to affirm my love for this women before God. Thank you.
This is such a wonderful comment that I will always cherish. Thank you for this priceless gift.