"The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a farmer scattered good seed in a field. But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and scattered weed seeds in the field and then left...[The farmer's] servants then asked, 'Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds?' 'No!' he answered. 'You might also pull up the wheat. Leave the weeds alone until harvest time. Then I’ll tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But I’ll have them store the wheat in my barn.'” - Matt 13:23-30 CEV (Emphasis added)
Barring Slavery and the Civil War, no other issue in American life has so divided these United States, torn apart our social, political and religious fabric, and splintered families like the issue of gay marriage. And no matter what the U.S.Supreme Court decides in July, the controversy over gay marriage is unlikely to go back into the closet. Welcomed or not, gay marriage advocates have fought hard for a seat at America's table, and they're not likely to give it up anytime soon. To the naysayers, the message is clear "deal with it." And actually, that might not be bad advice.
For Christians, the concern is that the battle for gay marriage is becoming more of a distraction because of the cause celebre it has become. It seems Christians are spending more time becoming entangled in the affairs of this world than in doing the Lord's work. Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus, or his disciples or the early Church leaders spent their time protesting and debating the social and political issues of the day? What the Bible does say, is that Jesus and his disciples went about preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and doing good works.
This is not to say that Christians today should bury their head in the sand and remain silent in the face of this world's growing moral turpitude. There are issues like poverty, crime, illiteracy, and homelessness where Christian involvement is needed to help those at risk. But Christians must not become sidetracked by issues or neglect the call to spread the Gospel and win souls to Christ. Jesus always kept the mission in sight despite many distractions and much opposition. His number one priority was always to complete the mission.
Likewise, Christians, who follow Christ, must do as God's Word says. Commenting in Decision Magazine recently, J.C.Watts, a former U.S. Congressman and a pastor, said, "If you're a believer, your first allegiance is to the Word of God, and God expects you first of all to defend His Word. He also expects that even if you disagree with someone's sexual preference, you will still love them and treat them with human dignity."
Ideally, Christians around the world should be examples of God's love in action. If we do our part, God will do His part. It's God who judges sin, not us. God sees no difference between telling a lie and committing a homosexual act. Both are a sin and will receive the same judgement from God. Christians have a responsibility to tell sinners how their sins can be forgiven, and not just that they deserve to go to Hell. If we do our part, God will take care of all the rest. Wait and see.
Update: In the U.S., 12 states and the District of Columbia have legalized gay marriage.
