Mosier, Oregon—Despite differences of opinion with her husband about killing bugs, an Oregon chaplain hunted down a long-legged creature. What she captured and killed turned out to be something very different. The chaplain’s husband witnessed his wife capture a dust bunny in a tissue.
Said the husband, “I was nagging her to leave the poor bug alone as she reached for a tissue. She defended herself by telling me it wasn’t an ant, that ‘it’s one of those multi-leg things that freak us out.’ Of course I had the last laugh.”
The wife captured the invading creature only to discover it was a dust bunny. Just lint. She said of the experience, “I wasn’t impressed by Tim’s sarcastic remark about feeling safer. Maybe he should sweep the bedroom more often!”
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Not everything is what it first seems to be. Not every perceived threat is real. Like interracial marriage before it, marriage equality for LGBTQ peoples is one of those dust bunnies. It will not harm my marriage of nearly thirty-three years. It will not result in the crumbling of western culture or spur God’s fiery vengeance on America.
We are presented with choices every day of our lives. Will we respond to others out of love or will respond out of fear and hatred? I choose love. God will undoubtedly hold me accountable for many failures and sins. I am very human. I am convinced, however, that acting out of love will not be one of those sins.
Although I tend to the conservative end of the LGBTQ issue as it relates to church leadership, I also agree that acting out of a spirit of care and respect is also a pretty good, Biblical approach to people, no matter what “label” is attached to them. The irony of the whole debate over same-sex marriage is that Jesus went for people’s hearts. Keeping the laws will not change people’s hearts. My own concerns on this issue is what implications would come of it. Your point about acting out of love is a great one, and I am sure Jesus would be with you on that one. After all, I don’t recall reading about him kicking tax-collector’s desks over and trying to beat up on them. Thanks for a thought provoking post. 🙂