Disciples Practice Acceptance with Others
From Interim Pastor Bob Brite:
What defines a genuine Christian community? It seems to me that the first thing on the list is a quality of acceptance – the acceptance of each other who, on our individual journeys, are working through our status as sinners who need God’s grace. I have the sense that First Christian Church is a community of accep-
tance. We’re all God’s children, no matter what our background, orientation, hurts, pains, or gifts.
Wandering through the Gay Pride block party at Loring Park on Sunday, I was impressed by how far we, as a culture, have
come in terms of acceptance and, in reflection, how far we have yet to go. Thirty years ago a party like the one I walked through yesterday would have evoked
protests similar to what happened to African Americans in the 50’s
and 60’s. Yet, yesterday, matters of GLBT acceptance was demon-
strated by people of all ages andorientations; families and youth of all apparent orientations were present in abundance; businesses such as Target and Best Buy
were hawking their wares. At the same time, a good chunk of the booths were promot- ing further human rights initiatives – a good thing which, at the
same time, reminds us just how difficult and prejudiced we as a
human race can be, and are.
The Bible has very little to say about matters of sexual orienta-
tion. Fascinatingly enough, the primary passage from Romans 1, which Paul wrote as a condemnation of temple prostitution in Rome and whose interpretation
has been grabbed onto as a prohibition of gay behavior by some, concludes with this wonderful verse in Chapter 2: “You have no excuse, whoever you, when
you judge others, for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the same thing.”
Most extremist positions kind of leave off that passage, which properly concludes the discussion. (I wonder why.)
Being straight, I don’t understand what it’s like to be gay, just as, being male, I don’t understand what it’s like to be female. That doesn’t stop me from working at
such understanding, though, for, to me, that is one of the most important jobs in the Christian job-description: Practicing accep-
tance with others.
I’d like to see YOU on Sunday,
Bob
