Let Us Act in Love

I have heard three sermons lately on the same subject.  Usually when that happens it means something’s up.  There’s something that needs my attention.  And this time there is.  All three sermons were saying that as Christians we have to speak the truth.  We have to call a spade a spade, so to speak.  And I agree with that.  But the spade this time was the whole transgender bathroom issue.  And I’m not sure I know what truth is in this case.

I have never spent any serious time with a transgender individual, that I know of, only know what I know from tv and radio.  I am not a Bible scholar, and I don’t know that the Bible addresses this issue, although I’m sure there are Bible scholars who could point it out.  I do know that the two verses that I try to keep foremost in my mind, God is Love and Judge Not, don’t allow me to disparage someone just because they have made choices I wouldn’t make.

But back to the speaking the truth thing, we should call a sin a sin.  We shouldn’t pretend for the sake of being nice or politically correct that we don’t believe the things we believe.

But not everyone agrees what a sin is.  I believe a sin is an act that hurts yourself or someone else or shames God.  Harming yourself or others is usually pretty obvious, and while there may be grey areas and wiggle room, it’s not too hard to figure out that punching someone in the face, using heroin or gambling away the kids’ lunch money are all sinful acts.  Shaming God is a little trickier.

But if I were ministering to someone I think it would be more beneficial to them to say Here is God, Here’s how much He loves you, Here’s what He wants for you.  Here is Jesus, Here is His Truth, Here’s what He’s done for you.  And not address any particular sin, and let the love of God direct them to less sinful behavior.

One of those Bible scholars might jump up and say But you can’t ignore Verse Such and Such.  No, I can’t ignore it, but I may not necessarily lean on it either.  Truth might not change, might not, but interpretation does.

And times change.  Society changes, what we need from God changes, our relationship with Him changes. 

Paul said women were to keep quiet in church.  It’s right there.  It’s in the Bible.  But women’s role in society has changed.  So now women speak in church.  And that’s not against God.  Things changed.  Our relationship with God changed as our needs changed.  And if you don’t think someone like Joyce Meyers has the anointing just because she was born female, you are not paying attention.

When the Supreme Court decided the Marriage Equality Ruling, a lot of people who wanted to oppose it chose verses from Leviticus particularly , as their support.  I don’t want to get into a debate about whether the Supreme Court has the right to determine the legal definition of marriage in this country.  They have, and they did, so that argument is over.  And I don’t like politics preached from the pulpit, and for what it’s worth, this is my pulpit.

Put that aside. 

Whenever someone quotes one verse to support their position, I always want to know if they’ve read the whole passage.  Everything that went before it and all the verses after.  Many verses can be misrepresented when taken out of context.

But when someone brings up Leviticus, I want to say Read the whole book.  Read all of it, and I promise you that at least once you will say Wait a minute, if not That’s just crazy.

Almost everything is a sin in Leviticus, and many of those sins are punishable by death.  I’m sure none of us would have a problem not offering our children up to Molech, whoever he might be.  We don’t have to worry about trimming our beards unless we’re Sons of Aaron, who are basically rabbis.  Tattoos might be an issue for some of us, but according to Leviticus, we can’t wear a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbow.

All sexual sins are punishable by death.  Men with men, having sex with your in-laws, bestiality.  All punishable by death, for both parties, including the animal who probably had no choice.

But let’s be honest.

If we are going to write laws according to Leviticus, which we can’t because we’re not a theocracy, Verse 19:34 ends the whole Immigration Debate.  “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.”

Oh, you say they aren’t talking about Mexicans crossing the border illegally, and I’m gonna say My point exactly.

So, you say How can you, who profess to be a Christian, dismiss the Book of Leviticus.

Here’s how.

I am a Christian of the New Covenant.  The Old Covenant, the one that Leviticus was part of, is gone.  The Israelites couldn’t do it, and there is no longer a need for symbolic and ritualistic purity.  There is a new covenant.  And the new covenant says that the Law will be written on our hearts.

And my heart tells me to act in love.  And love says to accept people as they are, and listen to their point of view.

Return to me and I will return to you.  Malachi 3:7