Doug Van Pelt

in the eyes of the Lord, we're all homosexuals

I've done a couple of radio interviews to promote the book Rock Stars on God and the night before the first one, my friend Lee suggested we pray before the interview, as "Dudley and Bob have been known to tear people apart on the air." I was reminded of the ominous warnings prior to the Henry Rollins interview. "He can be a rough interview." This kind of stuff can make you nervous. Anyway, as I was thinking about the upcoming radio interview, I asked myself, 'What kind of question could they try to stump me with?' The topic of homosexuality came to mind. It's a hot button and a question that puts the person answering on the spot. If they say homosexuals are perverts or weird or wrong, then the person is branded "intolerant" and oh-so politically-incorrect. If they say homosexuality is cool, then fellow believers will get on their case as being unbiblical and the person answering gets in trouble either way.

I thought to myself, 'Why does a Christian response (which should equate with "a balanced biblical response") get non-believers upset?' I think the answer is in the attitude or appearance that Christians think they're better than homosexuals. They admit, "Oh yeah, I'm a sinner saved by grace, but at least I'm not a homosexual sinner..." I've never vocalized that thought, but I've probably felt that way. Sure, some sins might have more consequences than others -- murder kills someone and leaves a hole in the murdered person's family; sexual sin leaves emotional, mental, and (probably) spiritual scars; whereas lying breeds mistrust and something like shoplifting has other consequences. They're all serious consequences, but some have more lingering consequences in the immediate future.

But when a believer "lowers himself" to the level of sinner, then perhaps a bridge can be built that will allow dialog and, perhaps, repentance and renewal to take place. I'm speaking in terms of speech here, not action. I'm talking about a believer not holding the standard of perfection up here (imagine someone holding their arm straight out at shoulder height and saying, 'You've got to jump this high'), but instead the believer acknowledges that the standard is higher than they themselves can meet, and thus lowering themselves to the same level as the sinner -- no matter what the sin. When we truly see ourselves as on a level playing field with everyone else, then perhaps we are humble enough to look these people in the eye and not give off an air of haughtiness or pride; but instead humility, compassion, love.

Didn't Jesus say we were murderers? I mean, in the Sermon on the Mount, didn't He say that if we hated someone in our hearts that we were guilty of murder? Could we not say, "In the eyes of the Lord, we're all murderers?" I've certainly hated before.

1 Corinthians 6:9 says, "Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters no adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were..."

The text goes on to tell us about how we were washed, sanctified, justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus. That's the point I've had drilled into me. It's the truth. However, one of the points that can easily be missed is how we -- the body, the church -- are made up of sinners. We all miserably fail God. The standard of perfection is woefully missed. We have all failed. Now, one of the major points of Scripture is to not wallow in our failure. That's true. But perhaps remembering that we are equal to the person trapped or ensnared in a particular sin...perhaps realizing that will give us a non-judgemental heart with which to relate to that person with. We're not guaranteed that we're going to rescue every sinner from their sins. Most all of the time the sinner has to want to repent (to change, to turn, to alter their course) in order for that to happen.

But maybe if I can somehow respond in such a way that lets someone know that I'm not on a pretend high horse, acting like I'm better than they are...then maybe that person will take the respect I've shown them and offer it back and maybe we can have a discussion about God and His plan of reconciliation or perhaps maybe I can just be an example of, 'Hmmm, there's a Christian that's not whacked out of his mind. Maybe they're not so bad after all.' Either way, I feel like something's been accomplished.

The radio interview? I've done two in the past couple of weeks. They were both on morning talk shows at rock stations that cover lots of ground -- from wild partying to scandalous gossip to sexual innuendo. Neither one appeared eager to "trap" me with a tough question. But if that trick question ever comes, maybe now I'll be ready.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at June 22, 2004 08:30 AM