Now that homosexuality relationships may gain legal status, Christians have no idea how to respond. Have we forgotten our calling to be salt and light and instead hidden the faith which was bought at so high a price? As Evangelical scholar Larry Crabb notes, the Church has forgotten what it means to influence our culture with the hope of the gospel:

"We as Christians have abdicated our role and responsibility as ministers of the healing power of the gospel…there is a power within the life of every Christian waiting to be released…a power that can join others to the intimate heat of Christ. This power is relationships." (1)

God has placed an amazing power within each Christian to change and impact lives. Christians have the hope of the gospel yet so often we life as is there is no hope; we have the healing of Christ's blood, and yet we live as if we are dead; we have the message of forgiveness and joy and yet we too often live in a stagnant pool of intolerance and dogmatism; we have the potential for intimate relationship with the God of the universe and yet we live without passion and involvement in the lives of others. Considering all this, is it any wonder that Christians do not have much of an impact on our culture?

Unfortunately, over the past century, Christians have become increasingly socially polarized: Preferring often to live either happily clotured away from the real world or standing on soapboxes condemning sinners. The issue of homosexuality has been no different. Now that the final vestige of a Christian society's strictures against homosexuality, lack of access to legal marriage, looks like it may fall, Christian's have no response to a culture that has suddenly recognized homosexual behavior as normal.

Homophobia ranks among the most shameful scandals of the Christian church in the past century. Instead of reaching out to homosexuals and sharing the love of Christ, the Church has offered intolerance, moral absolutism, and unbending dogmatism. It is easy to buy bumper stickers, put Christian figurines in our homes, or encourage friends to go see a "Christian" movie. Yet what, if any action do we take to actually witness through these opportunities? As Alan Jones notes "how I react to sin-scarred people; people I am inclined to dislike; how I deal with the reality of sin in my culture will speak the truth far more poignantly than the pro-life bumper sticker on my car." (2) The essence of our faith is to be salt and light to the world, not only to our professional neighbor who we are "comfortable" with but those who are dying in their sin. Jesus did not hang out with the spiritual "elite" of his day, more often than not; He condemned them for the pious religiosity and reserved some of his harshest criticism for the religious leaders of the day. How often are we like the Pharisee: do we prefer to turn up our nose at sin and think ourselves better than others?

Paul's words after his discourse on homosexuality in Romans 1 are convicting. "So no matter who you are. If you pass judgment you have no excuse. In judging others you condemn yourself, since you behave no differently from those you judge." (3) The gravity of the sin that we have been rescued from, according to no merit of our own, should be the impetus for our action. Why are we so quick to condemn others and dismiss them when we were rescued from sin ourselves?
Relationships change peoples' lives. It is a basic fact of human existence, our deepest struggles, joys, and experiences are shared in the midst of relationships. Yet so often we as Christians fail to live this out. God can use bumper stickers, billboards, and tracts, but the fundamental reality is that Christ uses Christians as his primary tool to change lives and he has called us to be fishers of men. How many times throughout the New Testament did Christ impress upon his followers that the true Christian life was lived through mercy and not sacrifice. In some ways it is much easier to write a check and let somebody else worry about the homeless or underprivileged. Yet it takes real courage and sacrifice to volunteer one's time and build relationships at a homeless dinner or an AIDS shelter. "The compassion of God in our hearts opens our eyes to the unique worth of each person; we must love others in their sin as we were loved in our sin." (4)

The command of Jesus to love one another should never qualified by nationality, status, ethnic background, sexual preference, or attractiveness of the other person. This does not mean that we accept the reality of this sinful world indiscriminately-we do not accept sin and injustice, we do not call evil good and good evil, we do not have to run into the street and beat every hapless passerby with the gospel. Instead, we live the compassionate life that Christ exemplified, showing love and compassion to those who have no hope and live in a darkened world. We seek to get involved with our neighbors, communities, and live sacrificially. We should remember what a great punishment we were rescued from and seek to impact and change the lives of those lost in sin to the redemptive love of our savior. Let us truly live the hope that is within us.

(1) Crabb, Larry. Connecting. Word Publishing, 1997.
(2) Alan Jones, Exploring Spiritual Direction. Winston Press, 1985.
(3) Romans 1
(4) Hans Kung, On Being Christian. Image Books, 1984.