The Apostle Paul was a very devout, smart man, and I love much of what he wrote to the churches he was starting and overseeing – and there are also parts I don’t love as much. In fact, some of his writings are downright wrong. Today, however, I want to consider something he wrote in Romans 12. “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” The problem is, of course, that we have different definitions of good and evil. In fact, our present consternation in America is swirling around this very question. For example, Transgender people. I have met a number of folks who are trans, and although I haven’t met every one of them in the world, the ones I know are pretty great. Many of them are devout lovers of God, and those who aren’t may be that way because of the way they have been treated by other so-called lovers of God.
On the other hand, I have met a lot of heterosexual church folks who don’t behave very well yet call themselves Christians. They lie, cheat, and live lives of greed and avarice. It’s great that they show up for Sunday church and give to the offering, but if the rest of their lives aren’t showing genuine love, does their show of piety really matter? (Hint – Jesus didn’t think so). When I was in Cincinnati years ago, I was a campus minister at the U of Cincinnati and N. Kentucky U, and we had to deal with a cult called The Cincinnati Church of Christ (it was an off shoot of the actual C of C). They would find lonely students and love bomb them, learning all their secrets and fears, and then those students would drop out of school and be used as full-time evangelists/pan handlers. If the students tried to leave, the longer-term members would remind them of the secrets they shared, hinting that they would be used against them. Let love be genuine, Paul wrote. That isn’t genuine love.
Genuine love doesn’t control or manipulate or demean; genuine love lifts up and supports and affirms. “Hate the sin, love the sinner” is not genuine love, and it is not, as far as I can find, in the Bible. It isn’t that we should accept evil, but I think we should try to figure out what true evil is. Is making money evil? No – unless it is done at the expense and detriment of others. Is sex evil? No – unless it is used to hurt others. Love based on mutuality – equality – is how we honor one another. If one person loses, that isn’t mutual. If we attend a house of worship where who we are is not respected, we need to get out. God loves us – God made us – and God expects love to be genuine. We are created with the spark of the Holy – we deserve genuine love.
Prayer – Holy God, may our relationships be filled with respect and honor and love that lifts all of us up. Amen. Today’s art is called “Ready to Dance” by Allan Houser.