Come to Me

A friend of mine, good solid stand up guy, was disturbed because a homosexual man took communion at his church. He deemed the man unworthy of the Lord’s table because of the man’s lifestyle. I doubt my friend would be alone in his reaction. The Pharisee’s had a similar take on Christ eating with prostitutes and tax collectors, with breaking bread with sinners. Are we willing to forgive those long ago hookers because they were presumably heterosexual, but not someone in our midst because their affections, or affectations, make our skin crawl?

I’m not much of a gay rights advocate. I support civil unions for insurance, inheritance, and hospital visitation purposes, but I don’t support same sex marriage, because marriage means two very different things becoming a new thing altogether. If my referring to people as things blurs my argument think of smoothies, or blended wine cuvees.

The Gospels give exactly zero examples of Christ ever denying access to Himself no matter what the teachers of the law, or even the apostles had in mind.

Could it be that unless we become as little children, innocent of sexual politics, we shall in no way enter the Kingdom of Heaven? If given a choice between loving, or shaming someone, Christ embodied the loving option. He reserved His indignant castigation for those who would deny His fellowship to the folks who need it most. I’m not sure how far I can open my heart, my hand, or my home church, but I have a suspicion Jesus would prefer that I try.

Will Schmit

Will Schmit is a volunteer outreach prison minister for Lifehouse Church in McKinleyville Ca. He is the author of Head Lines A Sixty Day Guide to Personal Psalmistry and Jesus Inside A Prison Minister's Memoir and Training Manual both available at Amazon Books and www.schmitbooks.com. The website also includes poetry, ministry updates, and music downloads from Bring To Glory a CD of spoken word with coffee house jazz.

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