an invitation to the table: part two

if you are just now joining us, be sure to read part one...
an invitation to the table: part one

as much as it grieves me to admit it, we the church have alienated entire segments of people by the methods we use to crusade for truth. one group in particular is the homosexual community. as evangelicals, we have taken our stand on the issue but have failed to minister to the individual. leaders from within our ranks have rallied the troops to speak out against gay marriage. politicians, who covet the millions of votes within conservative religious circles, stir up fear and lure us into their encampment by promising to protect us against the “homosexual agenda”. we march. we sign petitions. we boycott Disney. our message is clear: hate the sin and love the sinner; yet, most of us can’t name a gay or lesbian person in our lives to whom we are loving and ministering.

the impact is evident. look around in our churches. how many members in any given evangelical church are those who have come to faith in Christ from the gay community? how welcome would they feel in our pews, investigating faith and asking questions of our beliefs? even more so, how has our vehemence affected those within our very own walls? we must not delude ourselves. there are strugglers in our midst, fellow believers who wrestle with homosexuality yet genuinely believe that they shouldn’t practice this lifestyle. have we provided them with a safe environment where they can vocalize their struggles and be encouraged in their journey? or have we stigmatized this particular sin to the point where our dear brothers and sisters would rather suffer silently than wear the dreaded, scarlet H?

we have become the noisy gong and clanging symbol.

thanks to the blogosphere and the intervention of a mutual friend, I have come to know CJ. in many ways, we hit it off from the start. a fellow writer and artist wannabe, we share the love of expression and value the exchange of words. like me, she spends a lot of time chasing her 2 1/2 year old around the house. she is a mom. she is a wife. she is a lesbian. married to her partner of 7 years, CJ lives in the Austin area and has recently braved wading into evangelically infested waters. as friends, our agreement is simple. we come to the table to listen, to attempt to understand and to always give grace in areas where we disagree. on more than one occasion, I have winced at the abuse that has been heaped upon her from those within my community. the wounds she carries from these experiences have led me to apologize on behalf of the entire Christian community. I have seen her pain and have grieved the role the church has played in it.

I want you to meet my new friend. I am inviting all of you to simply sit at the table with us. listen in on one of our conversations. hear the heart of one who is grappling with life and searching for how God fits into it. don’t argue. don’t think of rebuttals. remember this isn’t about reinforcing our ideas on what God says about homosexuality in the Bible. it is about putting a face on something that for many of us may have just been a cause.

I will moderate comments for the next few series of posts. my goal is for us to listen, remember? maybe when this is all said and done, we can bounce around ideas. but until then, pull up a chair, the coffee is brewed. we all have a lot to learn.