as we love ourselves.

Just got off the phone with my Dad. He and my stepmom attended a meeting tonight at their ELCA congregation about the ELCA's new guidelines pertaining to homosexuality. As my stepsister is a lesbian, my Dad and stepmom have had to face a lot of hard questions during the past few years. Is homosexuality a sin? If so, is it any worse than any of the other sins we all engage in on a daily basis? Civil unions and/or church marriages? How should the church relate to homosexual people? Should homosexuals be allowed to hold positions of leadership within the church?

As he told me stories of the anger and venom for homosexuals displayed at the church tonight, it clarified for me the ways in which I need to continually stretch and challenge myself to show tolerance for these different ways of worship that I am seeing in the pentecostal church. Not only the different ways of worship, but also the theologies, and issue opinions of the Christians I am meeting.

That sounds an awful lot like I'm equating the Assemblies of God with homosexuality. I'm not. I am generalizing a lesson I'm learning about love, compassion, and a willingness to explore the issues impartially until I've gathered enough evidence to be partial. Even then, "the greatest of these is Love."

To rail against the laying of hands as "weird" or "cracked" or "completely batshit crazy," as it is tempting to do (trust me) when someone's got a deathgrip on your forehead, would be just as arrogant and unloving as those men railing against loving homosexuals, or, for that matter, as it would be to discount those same men for their beliefs about homosexuals. Love for all. Note that I'm not talking about a sliding scale of Truth, here. Just an acceptance of our own feeble understanding of Truth, the humility to admit our own uncertainty, and a whole-hearted endorsement of the one thing that does seem to be universally acceptable, Love, as we figure this all out.

On a final note, pertaining to homosexuality, I will be impressed when John Lindell stands in his church and preaches love for homosexuals, and an end to violence towards them, be that in the form of physical or verbal abuse, withheld love and tolerance, or any other insidious manner in which the hatred is manifested. I understand that JRA doesn't endorse homosexuality as a behavior and a lifestyle, and would never ask them to forsake those beliefs to preach acceptance of either of those facets. But what a powerful moment it would be for the pastor of the second largest congregation in the Assemblies of God to speak the truth that we are to love homosexuals, as we love our selves. I pray for that moment.