“She is the Jesus freak.” a boy said from behind me, knocking me in the head with a closed fist.
My eyes smarted. I tried to change seats, but the bus driver threatened to write me up if I moved.
“Why do you raise your hands in church, dork,” a girl laughed in my face.
They witnessed my worship at my church because our services aired on a local television station. I sang and raised my hands, praising the Lord, not thinking about the cameras. I never dreamed the bullies would torment me. I felt tears threatening to spill over.
Drawing closer to Jesus leads to persecution and costs something. Others have given their lives for Him. I endured shaming from school bullies, but Jesus sat next to me on the bus. His love flooded my heart. It is only later that I connected the shame and ugliness to the long walk Jesus traversed to Calvary. He knew my pain and hurt.
Just as He knows the pain of Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, jailed for her conviction that gay marriage is a sin. No matter where you stand on the issue, no one should go to jail for religious beliefs in the United States of America. She should be released today. I think there is room for compromise, and legislators need to pass laws protecting those who disagree with gay marriage on religious grounds.
I admire her conviction that just because it is law, it does not mean that gay marriage is moral. I also empathize with her because Satan throws my past in my face everyday just as the media is doing to her. Before she became a Christian, she made mistakes in choosing men and married three times. I was a Christian and married two men whom I later divorced because one deserted me and the other abused me. Regardless, I sinned because I did not wait on the Lord and married these men despite warning from my parents. Jesus forgave me for my mistakes; however, just as he has forgiven her.
Gay marriage is now a right in the United States, and I may disagree with it on moral grounds, but I respect the law. I personally feel that if clerks issue licenses that they are not sinning. They are following the law of the land which God commands us to do in the Bible. This is just my opinion, however. We each have to follow our own convictions as the Spirit directs us. Other Christians have opened their hearts to the issue of gay marriage and believe that Christ allows it.
I respond in love. In my heart, I believe gay marriage and homosexuality are wrong according to the Bible. I pray that Jesus’s will prevails on this issue. I also know that according to some interpretations of the Bible, slavery is legal and women are instructed to wear their hair up and not wear gold and lavish apparel. The Bible is clear, however, that God hates divorce, lying, stealing, cheating, and pride. Eating too much is a sin. According to James, Jesus considers all sin equal, and we all deserve hell as a result of our sins.
Jesus tells us to love others as He does. He loves gay people and wants them to come to Him. In the end, what is more immoral and more dangerous? Gay and lesbians sharing multiple partners or settling down into a loving, hopefully, life-time commitment.
At the same time, He tells us to go and sin no more. The Bible is clear that gay and lesbian behavior is sin; however, to hurt or kill someone because of their gender or sexual preference is equally sinful.
In the end, I understand the pain of facing prejudice when I did not deserve it. I understand how it feels when someone treats me cruelly because of my beliefs. Gay or straight, I don’t want that happening to anyone. I don’t want gay people treated with hatred; however, it is just as wrong to jail Christians because of their religious convictions and their love for Christ.
We can answer this current situation with love. Allow clerks who believe that issuing marriage licenses to gays is wrong according to their convictions to step aside when they come in and have someone else sign the license: a judge or another clerk who feels as I do that even though I disagree with the law : it is the law of the land. I will respond in love and honor Christ by following His Word and respecting authority. At the same time, I will continue to pray for gay and lesbians that they find the Truth for their lives that align with God’s Word, the Bible.
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Hi Beloved, thanks for sharing this heartfelt post.
While I welcomed the law because of it’s fairness, plus persecution/torture/murder of gays simply because of their identity as being gay is something I think we as Christians can/should relate to….. I respect those who hold to certain scriptures about it. But I’ve been a pharisee and know firsthand it’s possible to stand on God’s Word and miss God’s Heart. He really broke me on this…. I love that you are with all your heart operating out of love. It’s great! Where there’s love, we see Dad. Where there’s hate, there’s something else all together.
The literal royal law (noted as such in James 2:8) is to treat eachother as we want to be treated. If we really apply this it would dramatically change how we interact with one another. I consider for example I don’t even like when my husband tells me I didn’t wash the dishes well, how much more if someone told me my entire identity was wrong.
God’s Love is unconditional, Jesus died for all of us, we are all wrecked…
“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness came from the law, then Christ died in vain…” Galatians 2:21
Lots of Love from Holland,
Jasmine
Jasmine, these are very thought-provoking points. Thanks for sharing and reading. I hope you will join us often. 🙂
Mary Hill recently posted…Purple Royalty Covers My Sins
This world sure is getting to be confusing, isn’t it? It is so hard to know just how we should be standing up for Christ and defending His Word in a world that doesn’t really want to hear it.
It challenged me to read of the ways that you said you have felt your past thrown back at you during hard times. It is so easy as Christians to judge on what we know from the past when our God is a God who forgives and who transforms. Thank you for the reminder of all He may be doing in the hearts of those around me.
Meredith recently posted…[Podcast] Episode 3 – What Makes a Biblical Church?
So true. I read we need to do more kinding then judging. It was in a post on Cherished magazine. thanks for stopping by.
Mary Hill recently posted…Why I Write
I love reading the wrestlings and ponderings of others’ thoughts about some of our current-day issues. I love that your end conclusion is that persecuting is not the heart of Jesus, love is. I also love that, even in living this love out, you can still hold fast to your own conviction and not feel bullied into changing your view of scripture for somebody elses comfort. In all my own heart-wrestlings over this, I keep coming back to the two most important things being stand firm in what you believe, and above all else, wear love.
Summer recently posted…Adventure Beckons (and we can find it here!)
Summer, thank you so much for your wonderful words of encouragement. 🙂
Mary Hill recently posted…Why I Write
Mary,
My heart aches for the little girl who was bullied and for the young woman who had her heart broken. I am so thankful, though, that you have let healing in and that you have let Jesus step into your life and use it for His good! Each day I am overcome with awe at the remarkable and brave women I meet across the blogging world who have walked through trauma and come out praising our God!! You are a treasure!!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Lori Schumaker recently posted…What Legacy Will You Leave?
Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate your support. 🙂
Mary Hill recently posted…Persecuting Gay or Christian is Sin
Mary, I’m so sorry that you were bullied and mocked as a kid, and that you had bad luck with husbands. Boy, you’ve had it rough-but God uses all of that, doesn’t he?!
I think your opinion and article is great. I remember having a job once where I was asked to change the date on the postage meter, so the mailing looked like it went out earlier, and I said I wouldn’t do that. My boss, who liked me, realized that I was not the one to ask to do dishonest things, and it quickly became known around the office-in fact, my co-worker once started to ask me to do something then said, “Oh that’s right, I can’t ask you,” laughed and walked away. Fortunately, I had an easier time than that poor clerk, but it also wasn’t a hot topic. It’s unfortunate that we live in a world that dictates how we should think, that right and wrong are arbitrary, and that tolerance is intolerant of the intolerant. Great post.
Mary Dolan Flaherty recently posted…5 Ways to Turn Your “I Can’t” Into “I Can”
I sorry you went through that. It is hard to stand firm for our beliefs sometimes. We are mocked and persecuted, but I know Jesus sees it. He is there for us always.
Mary Hill recently posted…Persecuting Gay or Christian is Sin
Bravo! Although I don’t agree 100% with our view, I don’t entirely disagree with it. Plus I love this quote from you, “I personally feel that if clerks issue licenses that they are not sinning. They are following the law of the land which God commands us to do in the Bible.” But ultimately you are right: The Bible is the word of God and it is not subject to interpretation depending on which way the wind is blowing. Fabulous article and those kids on the bus were being raised in such close-minded households, I can only imagine what kind of people they became, and I hope that one of them found their way to God and a church, and worships with her hands held high.
Thank you for your encouraging words. 🙂
Mary Hill recently posted…Persecuting Gay or Christian is Sin
I can see how you’ve taken a compassionate stand on this all around, Mary. And though I might not agree with all your arguments, I respect the way you have communicated them.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted…Have A Heart