This part didn’t happen, but I wish it had. I wish I had thought to ask this, but we were all being so polite and civilized, I just didn’t want to ruin our Kumbaya moment. After we had spoken for all that time, I really should have asked them: what if you are wrong? What if God, based on Scripture, doesn’t think being something other than heterosexual is wrong? What if David and Jonathon would have been okay in their loving relationship? What if Naomi and Ruth had more than a friendship, and God didn’t care? It isn’t that God isn’t concerned about us doing the wrong things; Jesus was very clear about what would happen to someone if, for example, they injured a child (Matthew 18). After all, He said that if you want to get to heaven, become like a child. Not the whiny, tantrumy part of being childish – lots of adults do that. I think He meant the wonder and awe and love that children have in their hearts.
This is why all of this going on about Jeffrey Epstein and his cohort of perverts is so disturbing. I hope they all get God’s judgment in the harshest way possible. And anyone who supports or defends them – and there have been a disgustingly large number of them – need a come to a “whatever deity you worship moment.” There are things that are unforgiveable, but I will leave those designations up to God – it is truly above my pay scale. For the other things – for the mistakes of the head and the heart, or for the ways in which God has lovingly and purposefully made us that somebody along the way decided were wrong – what if all of our fretting and nitpicking and designating and differentiating is wrong? What do we do about that?
Hurting others, except in self-defense, is wrong. Abusing the powerless – stealing from and disrespecting the poor – not caring for orphans and widows – not treating the least among us as if they were Jesus – greed – these things are wrong. All of it, Jesus said clearly, has to be viewed through the lens of loving God, neighbor, and self. If two adults love each other and want to commit themselves to a relationship, it should never matter who they are or what their gender is. This question – what if I’m wrong – probably applies to a lot of life. It might do all of us a lot of good to pause and ask ourselves “what if I’m wrong” in the midst of stress and judgment and self-righteous moments. Because Jesus was also clear about this – the judgment we give is the judgment we get. So, let’s be careful out there. Because we might be wrong.
Prayer – Holy God, thank You for the gift of love that should surpass all else. May we offer love wherever we go today. Amen.
Today’s art is “Humility” by Will Felix.