With the Orlando tragedy, some Christian leaders are speaking words that lack wisdom and which certainly do not promote healing nor express compassion. Here are 5 dumb things Christians must stop saying when evil strikes.
In contrast, good leaders are easy to identify: Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Mandela, Lincoln, Churchill, the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Pope Francis, etc, etc. But we might not notice what their attributes precisely are as to why their leadership works.
On the other hand, bad leadership simply turns your stomach. This is a short list of what bad leadership, especially bad Christian leadership, lacks:
Humility.
Kindness.
Gentleness.
Generosity.
Graciousness.
Genuineness.
Compassion.
Transparency.
Vulnerability.
Inclusivity.
Bad leadership also inclines toward being:
Oppressive.
Unjust.
Disrespectful.
Opinionated.
Intrusive.
Exclusive.
Elitist.
Clandestine.
Controlling.
Manipulative.
Exploitative.
Each word is loaded with meaning. Yet, without a doubt this short list could be easily expanded. Boy, does the world ever need a good leader!
How dare the American Church seek to comfort our LGBT friends in Orlando.
Can the church really expect LGBT people to seek solace in a church who rejects them, prohibits them from marriage and pushes them into the closet of celibacy and binary sexual conformance?
The American Church gave up the right to mourn with our LGBT brothers and sisters in Orlando when the church excluded them from fellowship.
The American Christian response has been horrible because we see the impact of “love the sinner, hate the sin.” You cannot hold love and hate together. Hate will show through as the bad leadership traits mentioned in your article Ben.
Only love–love with no conditions–will result in a good leadership response.
I wonder if good Christians are trying to comfort the LGBTQ community as you put it. Or are they not simply suffering along with them as part of our collective humanity that is inundated and entrenched with suffering, violence and injustice?
The latter is expressed in this quote: “Brother, this is what I recommend: to let the weight of compassion within you to tip to the point that you might feel within your heart God’s own compassion for the world.” Isaac the Syrian.
Light amid the darkness from a Jewish congregation: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/06/15/what-happened-when-an-orthodox-jewish-congregation-went-to-a-gay-bar-to-mourn-orlando/
These Jews set a really good example. We need more of this. I’ve seen the same from a Muslim group who broke Ramadan to pray and visit the Pulse area.
Christians? No such example. Is there one I missed? I think Jesus will simply ask, “Why did you not visit me?”
I think that Matthew Vines response to the Christians who responded to Orlando is what you were getting at: http://religionnews.com/2016/06/13/christians-respond-to-orlando-massacre/
Yes. I see a genuine outpour of love from Gay Christians…
It is so shocking how hatred is growing more and more these days. Against Muslims, against refugees,also against Christians and against Jews. Also against the LGBT people. as for the LGBT, in my view it lacks a sensitive, loving discussion about all this, especially for gay Christians who really need answers. In light of what the bible says about homosexuality the attitude such as “everything is fine and doesn’t matter”, simply seems inappropriate to me, this would also betray the gay brother or sister. Especially in these days it is so important to seek God’s presence together with our LGBT brothers and sisters to genuinely ask HIM for help in this matter. It is in the nature of things that if you are gay AND Christian, there must be some sort of dilemma at some point
Hi Libby, I shared many thoughts on LGBT faith on the archived ubfriends site:
Have the Conversation Part 1
Have the Conversation Part 2
Have the Conversation Part 3
Have the Conversation Part 4
Thanks Brian, for poining me to your four-part series. As for myself, i pretty much side with the comment of Tom Kent in your part four: “That is sad, Charles. I know of same-sex attracted people who are open about their orientation, and who have not been rejected by their conservative churches. I think each church is different. A key element can be whether the gay person is celibate. But sadly in many churches even celibate people are on the outer, and any single person is regarded as someone who is lacking (lacking a partner), despite Scripture portraying singleness as a good option for life”
Personally i do not see any encouragement or reason for allowing any kind of same-sex-sexual intercourse. It is true that the Bible also forbids promiscuity and would not encourage sex before marriage. Even though there is a way out in the Old Testament – as far as i remember: The one who had a thing with an unmarried virgin could save himself and her by marrying her, taking responsibility for what they did. I do not see any such way for allowing gay sex.
Yes Brian, you are right: we can see it this or the other way. pro gay-marriage or contra. And the many scripture passages are clear, even considering historical and contextual facts. The way out i see is in Matthew 19, where Jesus states clearly that there are people unfit for marriage. The Apostle Paul was a good example of deliberate celibacy. In my opinion, the scriptures as such are not the way out of the dilemma. Without the power of God no gay brother or sister can ever be able to live celibate. It is our responsibility to come into the presence of God with them together, and recieve HIS power for staying/becoming clean in mind, body, Soul and Spirit …
Thank you for taking the time to read those articles, Libby. I would agree with most of what you say, for surely the Christian church will be marked by moral fortitude.
Your position is a common one I’ve come across. And I too briefly held the position of mandated celibacy for our LGTB+ family and friends.
But mandated celibacy for certain people fails all five tests in the Karcher Pentagram.
Mandated celibacy fails the test of Scripture. Nowhere does Scripture mandate celibacy. It is always a gift.
Mandated celibacy fails the test of Tradition. For eons the Christian church has maintained celibacy as a gift determined by personal choice. I am opposed to such a drastic change in Tradition.
Mandated celibacy fails the test of Reason. How do we apply such a concept? Who knows how to determine if you are LGBT+? Is there a “gay test”? What about all the mounting medical evidence?
Mandated celibacy fails the test of Experience. The experience of ministries like Exodus International is shocking. They attempted to enforce the celibacy for gays rule after they attempted to change them into being straight. They failed miserably and harmed millions of youth. They also shut down and apologized to the gay community.
Finally, mandated celibacy fails the test of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has spoken so powerfully through so many gay Christians. I have worshipped with them, listened to their sermons. God is so very present among the Christian LGBT+ folks I’ve met. The Spirit is moving amazingly and the cross is to be found in the closet.
I hope these conversations continue. Someone you love may in fact be LGBT+.
Dear Brian, thanks so much for carefully reviewing my position. I basically agree with all you say, yet i come to a different conclusion: The fact that God also speaks his message through the mouth of a gay Christian does not mean that the act of having sex with someone of the same gender is encouraged or promoted by God. The gifts of God to a person – crazily enough – seem not to be taken away automatically by that person doing things against God’s will. God is gracious to the full and more faithful than any human can ever be. You talk about how wrong and unjust “mandated celibacy” is. But if you read my comment honestly and carefully, you will see that i am talking about being dependent on the power of God, rather than just order sth “you must and must not do this or that”. No gay Christian in the world can EVER obey “mandated celibacy” without suppressing his/her true feelings. Only God himself can work miracles in my and other’s lives. And we can discuss this back and forth, yet still God seems to be silent and gives us freedom to discuss, without changing his word for us. Is it that Jesus might be waiting for many gay Christians to cry out to him, as well as many non-gay Christians to really recieve his power?
Also what would that look like, gay Christians “really receiving the power of God”? Would they become straight?
My apology Libby if I misunderstood your position. So you are not advocating mandated celibacy but celibacy by the power of God? Are you also saying the power of God can change a person from gay to straight?
“really recieving the power of God” – for me this would be … maybe experiencing God doing something i have not expected, but first of all me being more and more dependent on him. You ask me: “Are you also saying the power of Go can change a person from gay to straight?” … cute question Brian 🙂 the power of God made this world just by his word. Sure the power of God CAN do it. But it does not necessarily mean it happens “just in a minute” (which sure would be possible i think) but i personally believe that God not just wants to “take the gay-inclination away and that’s it”. I believe if the gay Christian really wants God to do his will in him/her, it involves a process that takes place at very deep levels of my (his/her) soul …
What you describe then, as your position, is that God works in LGBT Christians in the same manner as cisgender/straight Christians. It would seem we are in agreement.
I am sure that God can touch these very deep levels of a disciple’s soul. I admit that we cannot force these moments to happen whenever WE want, but i am also pretty sure that God wants to work in our lives. The article of Ben’s is about “what bad leadership lacks” – and what good leadership embraces. In my view, we evangelical Christians really urgently need to intercede for gay brothers and sisters and bringing them into the presence of God. God is the light, and in him there is NO DARKNESS at all. We don’t come to the Lord together to say “i am the good one, and look at the not-so-good-because-gay-one”. No. We come to the light together because we are ALL Imperfect and depend on Jesus
“We come to the light together because we are ALL Imperfect and depend on Jesus.”
That is what I mean by we are in agreement.
“it would seem we are in agreement”. to some extend, yes, Brian, yet if it comes to bringing the gay-thing into the light of God, which can endure no sin at all, it is a big challenge for our gay fellow brother/sister. We as non-gay Christians can stand with them, and help them believe that God’s power can change the thing which is not in accordance to his holy nature. And so we non-gay Christians also can learn from them, recieving courage to cry out to the Lord about our issues and/or sins, deeply understanding that we are no better than anyone else, but justified by Jesus only who loves us and yearns for being in communion with us
It does seem that we are likely all in full and total agreement about this: Only the Holy Spirit, Son and Father, the Triune God, can truly change and transform anyone and everyone — gay or cisgender — from the inside out.
No mandated anything (the LAW) ever changes or transforms anyone. Only realizing the grace of God and encountering the very presence of God works miracles that no human can ever bring about.