Dear Friends,
Last month, I asked the question, “Is LGBTQ+ a civil rights issue?” This month, we are building on that discussion, moving on to the next question: “How do we as Christians navigate conversations about LGBTQ+ matters well?” The answer, to my mind, is 4 steps: recognize, root, respond, and remember.
Recognize culture’s paradigm. Remember, culture’s belief that LGBTQ+ is a civil rights issue comes from its understanding of authority and identity. Authority is believed to only come from oneself, and a person can and must construct an identity based on thoughts, feelings, and desires. This belief system is critical to understand. Some of the ways Christians describe LGBTQ+ matters–such as “gay lifestyle” or “the gays”–clash heavily with culture’s paradigm in a way that shuts down conversation. This is both unhelpful and, occasionally, hurtful. Culture does not see LGBTQ+ matters as one of choice or lifestyle, but as a “born-that-way” identity that is immutable and core to one’s being. In order to navigate conversations about LGBTQ+ matters well, Christians must understand culture’s paradigm and adjust how we speak about such matters.
Root yourself in God’s Truth. To be clear, the truth of God, His Word, and the Gospel do not change. When I say that Christians must adjust how they speak about LGBTQ+ matters, I do not mean that Christians should take on culture’s false understandings of identity and sexuality. On the contrary, we must be absolutely rooted in what God says through the Bible. Specifically, we must be rooted in what God says regarding Himself, who human beings are, and what true human flourishing is. While we must understand culture’s paradigm in order to speak into it, we do not adopt the world’s paradigm and attempt to change what Scripture says in order to be more “relevant.” In order to navigate conversations about LGBTQ+ matters well, Christians must be rooted in what God says about identity and truth.
Respond compassionately without compromise. As discussed last month, LGBTQ+ matters are not strictly moral issues. Many people have been deeply wounded by the Church as they’ve been unable to process their abuse, pain, and struggles without threat or instance of rejection and abuse. It is not uncommon, therefore, for people to react out of their own hurt and anger. This is why God calls us to speak the truth in love. We acknowledge the hurt someone has gone through and demonstrate grace and care for them now. And we seek to be led by the Holy Spirit in how we speak truth and life. In order to navigate conversations about LGBTQ+ matters well, Christians must be
compassionate to all without compromising the truth of what God says.
Remember the Gospel. Whether you have struggled with your sexuality and identity or not, the Gospel is the key to navigating any conversation. Each of us is one for whom Jesus had to die in order to deal with our sin. We are saved strictly by sheer grace. And we are no better than those who disagree with and hate us. At the same time, those of us who are in Christ are absolutely loved and cherished, and we respond to others from that place of security. What God says about us matters infinitely more than what any person thinks about us. In order to navigate conversations about LGBTQ+ matters well, Christians must remember the Gospel and their identity in Christ.
Whether or not you’ve had a chance to practice these principles, you can start today. If you are looking for practical training for you or your church in this area, give us a call. We’d love to bring our Distinctions seminar to your group. If you want to dive into a book about a specific interaction, check out our Top 5 Reads series on our website. We also recommend reading Linda Seiler’s Trans-Formation, an excellent book on this month and last month’s topics. We’d love to hear your thoughts and reflections on this two-part series; call the office or send us an email. I pray each of you would sense God’s grace and closeness as you take steps to grow in compassion without compromise in all your
relationships. Amen.
