THERE is an oft-repeated anecdote in which famous figures are solicited by The Times of London to write essays on the query, "What is wrong with the world today?" Their responses cover the predictable "hot button" issues of the time. Yet the celebrated English writer G.K. Chesterton, an orthodox Christian and apologist of the likes of C.S. Lewis, offers the most profound and simple answer: "I am."
My purpose here is not to comment on the nature of the relationship between American government and Christianity, but to set the tone in the conversation about spirituality and sexuality. After reading vitriolic online comments on recent columns regarding homosexuality and religion, I feel Chesterton's answer is the right place to start - a position of humility. His response posits that "none is righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10 ESV) and that we cannot remove the speck of dust from our neighbor's eye until we have removed the log from our own (Luke 6:42). I have gay friends with whom I work closely; I enjoy spending time with them and treat them with respect. I know followers of Christ at the University agree that "gay bashing" is wrong, that all people deserve equal protection under the law and that those in the Church should be no less loved for declaring a gay orientation.
Numerous student writers, in referencing the Bible, have misunderstood both the letter and spirit of the scriptures on this issue. They often crack open the law books of Moses from the Old Testament. The varied, and sometimes oddly detailed, commands found in the O.T. were given specifically to the nation of Israel to - among other reasons - reveal the hard truth that our sinful nature is a death sentence, both spiritual and physical, and that God is the fair judge of all.
Do these laws offend you? They well ought to - they are anathema to our deepest inclinations, and convict us with capital punishment! Jesus said, "You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins" (John 8:23-24). Words do not get much more confrontational than that.
Thankfully, God is sweetest mercy as well as perfect justice. Here is why those old laws are no longer followed: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death ... By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1-4). We also can take heart from verses that paint a picture of what mutually edifying, positive and enjoyable sexuality can look like. Song of Solomon is one such example.
Many instinctively and justifiably point fingers at us Christians who do not act like Christ, hurting others. There is no excuse for such behavior. We did not become disciples, however, by first becoming perfect; first God loves us, then we heed the call, surrendering ourselves bit by bit. We are all equally in need of a Savior; "those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17). I also draw attention to the pivotal role Christ followers such as Martin Luther King Jr., William Wilberforce and Frederick Douglass played in the arena of civil rights.
In other words, scripture is clear that acting upon deceitful desires of the flesh - however oriented - is sin, but also that we all are sinful and in the same sinking ship. Therefore, Christians must "in humility count others more significant than [them]selves" (Philippians 2:3), speak the truth in love and remember that judgment is God's prerogative. It is imperative that we be gracious to one another in this discussion; the implications for personal sexual identity touch many.
It should come as no surprise that the desires, authority and very character of God, who is depicted in scripture as a jealous lover and knowing father, deeply challenge us. Following Him costs us something, not just of our sexuality, but of our whole being. But that cost is nothing compared to "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:8), for as in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, God loves and spends lavishly upon those who humble themselves before him.
Travis Dennis is a third-year College student.
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