Thursday 10th April

Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

This has been on my mind an awful lot recently.  Mostly in the context of the whole gay marriage debate.  And the other verse which is equally resounding in my head is this one

If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ( Matthew 18 :6)

I dont want to get into the whole gay marriage thing here - its not really about that.  What is worrying me is the level of judgementalism we all find it so easy to adopt all the time about everyone.  What is it about human beings that always wants to compare and be ' better', that always insists on being ' right' and which wants to come down like a tonne of bricks on anyone who is not on the same page?  It mystifies and upsets me.

Decades ago I hears a sermon by one of my heroes - Australian Hells Angels pastor John Smith.  And one phrase stood out and changed me forever.  In the context of a sermon about the sufferings of Christ he said

It is more important to love, than to be right.

and then he yelled it

IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO LOVE THAN TO BE RIGHT.

So much church division and conflict has been caused by people being unwilling to adopt a position of love over a position of ' being right'.  It is so sad.  But what is worse is that I really do believe it makes God not just sad but very angry.   We will have to answer for the way we have behaved.  If anything we have done has caused one of God's loved and lovely children to stumble and fall He will hold us accountable in no small measure.

Which is where I worry about the gay issue.   I know three gay people who all started their lives in the church.  They all loved God and desperately wanted to know Him more, love Him and serve Him.  They all struggled for years with their sexuality - in secret and in fear of how they would be judged.  And then when they came out in three different churches in different denominations, they were roundly rejected and so severely judged by ' church' that they left.   Two of the three are now far from the Lord and THATs the thing I worry about.    Surely it is God's job to convict of sin, not ours.  Yes, we can teach truth and that might make people very uncomfortable.  They might not be willing to listen or accept the challenges God lays down.  Thats one thing.   But being rounded upon and hounded out ( one pastor told my friend her behaviour was despicable) - is that how Jesus treated people?  Even Jesus didnt condemn people. He forgave them and accepted them and loved them and showed them great and wonderful mercy whilst at the same time telling them to sin no more.  And thats what He is still doing today.   And its what we should be doing too.

But its not just sexuality, its so many things.  Do people worship in the right way,  attend prayer meetings, wear the right gear, follow the church rules?  Do people bring up their kids as we would want them to - conduct their finances in a ' Godly manner'  ( heaven forfend that people should be in debt but we shall conveniently ignore the church overdraft or mortgage)   We can never know the full story about what is going on in someone elses life or what has brought them to the point they are at.  We can not hope to ' sort people out' or  correct their faults.  All we can do is love people, walk with them on their road, help them when they ask for help, encourage and exhort them to get closer to Jesus and rejoice with them when He does His thing ( which let's face it is sometimes tough love)  Jesus is the judge.  Jesus is the one who has paid the price for ALL our sins.  All my sins.  How can I possibly judge other people when I am SO in need of grace and mercy myself.   I do not dare.  Because as I judge so shall I be judge.    Scary thought.