
Pay attention and you'll see what lies just beneath the surface. Eventually it'll come up and you'll see it. What was hidden is then exposed. What was concealed is then revealed.
President Obama has surfaced his views on gay marriage.
He has concluded that same sex couples should be able to get married. His opinion isn't hidden; it's exposed. He's not concealing what he wants. He has revealed his personal views.
That clarity helps, don't you think?
You no longer need to imagine what's going on beneath the surface. You don't need worry that you're lending credence to an outrageous conspiracy theory: that the president is pro gay-marriage when he has so often limited his support to legalizing civil-unions between same-sex couples. When he surfaced his views, speculation ended.
You may have sensed this coming, but you weren't sure you were seeing what you were seeing. A few brief glimpses of his position put us all in a difficult situation. Advocates for gay-marriage were frustrated because they wanted him come right out and say it. Advocates for marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman faced mocking and ridicule if they suggested the president was for gay-marriage.
I recently mentioned I thought the president was for gay-marriage. I was told, "How can you say that? You're lighting the match and fanning the flames of a fire that doesn't exist. He hasn't ever said he's for gay marriage. Don't put words in his mouth."
Well, now he's said it, and with his statement (made without the counsel of my brother-in-law, his spiritual adviser) the debate on what the president wants ends....and another debate begins.
For those who care, the United Methodist Church's position is crystal clear. Last week the General Conference of the UMC (its only authoritative body) declared:
"The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God’s grace is available to all."
Book of Discipline - Paragraph ¶161F
God is at work. HIS grace is extended to all.
Everyone is invited to accept God's invitation and adjust their lives to join HIM in HIS work. So let's continue offering grace to all: encouraging everyone to abandon immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, coarseness and idolatry. Rather than participating in the unfruitful deeds of the darkness, let's walk in love as children of Light.
Let no one be smug or proud; let no one feign and posture with the imagined spiritual superiority of religious elitists. Love mercy. Walk humbly.
Don't think for even a moment you don't need of the grace of God, that you're somehow better than anyone else, or that you wouldn't be desperately undone without God's grace and mercy. God saves us; we can't save ourselves.
Peter said it this way:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Here's my view: God loves us right where we are but loves us too much to leave us there. As Jesus leads us out of darkness into a new life, issues once hidden will surface. What was concealed will be revealed and when that happens we'd be wise to follow Jesus, even when it means we must adjust our lives to do so.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ephesians 5:1-13 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.