While I support the Biblical definition of marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman for life. I also think that we need to maintain some perspective when debating this issue.
Homosexuality is a symptom and not the disease. It is a symptom of unbelief as is every other sin that the rest of us commit. We all, Christian or non-Christian, gay or straight, sin. There are no exceptions to this according to St. John (1 John 1:8). Paul tells us in Romans 1:18 that apart from Christ, we suppress the truth in unrighteousness. We hold down the truth under the surface of unrighteousness in order to drown it.
Does homosexual marriage have negative consequences? I believe it does. But so does a marriage with an alcoholic spouse. We have abusive marriages. We have marriages that are so geared toward financial success that the children are neglected. There are many ways to make marriage less than it ought to be. Some “Christian” marriages are as dysfunctional as homosexual unions. This understanding does not justify homosexual marriage, but it should give us reason to clean up our own mess before we start throwing stones at others.
The solution to the ills of our society will never be a political one. Politics seeks to change people’s behavior, not their hearts. Politics and government may achieve external conformity, but it will never bring unity.
It is the business of the Church to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. That good news tells the story of how Jesus can free us from bondage to all sin, sexual or otherwise. We are all in need of that freedom. If we start living in that freedom and lovingly reach out to those who desperately need it, then we have the beginnings of real change in our society.
But this change comes at a cost. The cost is that we have to acknowledge our own unbelief and pride, humble ourselves and admit that we have the same need of a Savior as those on whom we look down. If God has the power to save a ragged lot like us, then he can reach into society and change anyone.
We should stand on our convictions and unapologetically teach what the Bible teaches on every issue, including that of homosexuality. But we need to do this in humility. We need to let those to whom we teach know that we have not got this all worked out and that God has a lot of work left to do in us, reclaiming the damage done by the fall of Adam.
Instead of pointing at others as the cause of societies ills, we need to first come to terms with our own contribution to the chaos.
If we do this, we will earn the right to be heard.
