Let’s get honest for a minute, shall we?

Dear editor,
  I’ve been watching from afar on how the home district has been handling the whole “same-sex” relationship issue now for a few weeks, and I’ve held my tongue for the most part–after all, it is proverbs that says a wise man holds his tongue, and those that can’t are just chittering fools. But I think it’s time to add my two cents to this.
I’ve heard a lot of comments on the sanctity of marriage, and the protection of morality in our country on this argument–which are all very good points, and I urge these people of faith to continue to talk about them–but thus far, I haven’t really heard anything about loving these people for who they are.
I am not a proponent for same-sex marriages. If you ask me what I believe is considered right, I hold to what the Bible says about marriage, and that it does not endorse a homosexual lifestyle. But the Bible also does not condone “common law” marriages, either. Scripture is very clear on this–if you’re not married and having sex, it’s adultery. And yet somehow I’ve missed the big petition trying to get the government to stop common-law relationships from having the same rights as those people who took the time and had a church wedding.
Funny, don’t think?
Admitedly, there are some pieces of legislation out there that need to be fought. Such as the legislation that would prevent me or any church from saying, “I don’t believe homosexuality is right.” And it may very well come to a time when churches will be fined for preaching what they believe is truth.
But that doesn’t give us the right to start lashing out in blind hatred. The truth is sin is sin. Just because one sin fits under the “heterosexual” label and another doesn’t does not give us the right to judge more heavily to one side than the other. In fact, if you check your Bibles, you don’t have the right to judge anyone outside of your faith. And let me tell you, the North American church has been doing a whole lot of judging lately.
Jesus ate with and ministered to the social outcasts of his times–thieves, beggars, prostitutes, everybody the church didn’t want to deal with. If you think Christ would willingly turn his back on people today just because they’re gay or lesbian, then I’m sorry to say that your faith is a pretty weak one. I believe Jesus would do what he did best–love them. Yes, he’d tell them what they were doing wrong. Yes, he would call them to a different life, a better life, and yes, he would never, NEVER, water down the message of the scriptures that His Father put before him.
But He would love them.
So before you sign your next petition or send another letter to your MP or newspaper, ask youself, have I loved these people? What have I done to show them that I do, in fact, love them, despite the fact that I don’t agree with them. Because if our whole mission here is to “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19) telling someone how much we hate them (and fear them) isn’t going to do it.
It’s time we stopped using the Bible to belt people with. It’s time to start using it to love them.
Blessings,
Mark Elliott,
Children’s Pastor of
Edmonton First Church
& former Fort Frances resident.