“Unity–not uniformity” or… What Gay Marriage has to do with the Church

           Okay. Just so you’ll know. My wife hates this title.

           She thinks I ought to dump it.

            I hope by the time you read this blog you’ll know why I chose it.

            A phrase I have heard all my life has been this, “Unity–not uniformity.” Usually, 

that statement is said in the context of passages such as Ephesians 4:1-16 or Rom. 14-15 

that talk about the importance of church unity.

            What this statement means, of course, is that members of the church do not have to 

look alike, act alike, or even think alike. As a matter of fact, the appeals in Scripture for unity 

imply that Christians are often extremely diverse, different, and divergent in their cultures, 

attitudes, and views. Otherwise, there would be no need for a call to unity.

            I am fascinated by how we accept that humanity’s most fundamental relationship-

outside of one's blood family-is based upon the biblical presupposition that two humans 

will enter into it as different. The two will enter into it totally distinct in terms of genetics, 

culture, and gender. I am of course talking about marriage.

            In marriage, you have the union of a man and woman. Typically, this is a collision of

temperaments and hormones, ambitions, and hobbies. Anatomically, they were even built by 

God to be fundamentally different.

            Yet, a man and woman in marriage are called by God to build unity through their 

relationship with Christ. Is this difficult? Well… yes! In spite of this, God builds this challenge 

into His call to creation.

            When a man and a woman pull marriage off, it is a beautiful thing. And the more 

diverse, the more beautiful.

            Again, we Christians assume the difference of the sexes, but it is fun to see a couple 

harmonize hobbies and sleeping schedules, thermostat settings and toothpaste caps (on or 

off?). I especially enjoy watching a couple cancel out each other’s vote in an election—each 

one a member of a different political party.

            An even more critical community is the church; for it is within this community that 

Jesus has chosen to express His saving work (Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 1:25-28.) Keep in mind, 

before God established the church, he established the community of Israel to call lost people 

all over the world to find a relationship with Him through His group of “called-out” ones.

            God specifically instructed the members of His community to be a light to the world. 

They were called to call foreigners to join their community and find God.            

            But foreigners were so enormously different! Yes; still, God issued that call.

            Unfortunately, Israel would not tolerate the difference. To put it in fancy terms: Israel 

did not want heterogeneity; Israel wanted homogeneity. That is to say, Israel would not 

accept diversity. Israel insisted upon uniformity—to her own peril.

            Sadly, early in the first century, the community that we know as the church suffered from

 the same problem. Jesus told his disciples that they were to take His message of reconciliation

 to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to all corners of the earth. God had to allow persecution to 

arrive before those Jewish Christians would be willing to begin doing His will.

            Even after that, the Gentiles entering into the Kingdom created a crisis for the Jewish 

Christians. Many seemed culturally and temperamentally incapable of welcoming Gentiles, 

unless the Gentiles agreed to buy a view exactly like the Jews. This especially meant Jewish 

customs such as observation of the Sabbath and diet.

            Now, don't miss this. In the critical communities-marriage, Israel, and the church-

God consistently calls his people to relate in community with those who are different. 

Behold – the pattern!

            Paul fought many battles against those who refused to fellowship with Christians who 

were different. Again, to put it in fancy terms: many Christians, especially Jewish Christians, 

did not want heterogeneity; they wanted homogeneity. That is to say, they would not accept 

diversity. They insisted upon uniformity—to their own peril.

            It was this battle that motivated Paul to write letters such as Galatians, Ephesians, and 

Romans. Over and over again, Paul argued that through creation and community, God has 

called people to engage in relationships that create unity in spite of diversity.

            Indeed, God’s presupposition was that there would be no uniformity, only unity (see 

Eph. 2:11-22.), just like in marriage.

            It's funny, today so many in the Christian world disagree with gay marriage on a 

fundamental level. I certainly join with them in this opinion.

            Gay marriage goes against the creative work of God. In gay marriage, people do not 

seek heterogeneity; they seek homogeneity. They celebrate homosexuality instead of 

heterosexuality. This is wrong.            

            In gay marriage, two people are attempting to construct the most fundamental of 

relationships on the basis of uniformity. This move is a perversion of God's creative work. 

Anatomically, they are uniform. Hormonally, they are uniform. In terms of the culture of gender, 

they are uniform.

            This was not the way God intended it. We get that.

            Nevertheless, some church members who blanch at the subject of gay marriage, 

without irony, fight tooth and nail for uniformity in a community in which God did not call for

uniformity–the church. These members want homogeneity not heterogeneity.

            God calls people of different races, languages, cultures, genders, and political positions 

to come to the cross and form a unified community. Yet, there are Christians who would pervert 

the gospel by insisting that Christians eliminate differences.

            In some extreme cases, the call is to eliminate different races within the same church. 

In other cases, and this is more prevalent, it is the insistence that members hold the same 

positions on as many issues as possible—even those that are opinion issues. ESPECIALLY 

THOSE THAT ARE OPINION ISSUES.

            Uniformity! With it–there is no need for unity.

            With uniformity (homogeneity), Christians are attempting to enjoy the love of God as 

expressed through people in His church in a way that is artificial. Anytime we force members 

to be uniform, we do not experience the real thing. It is a shallow, sad imitation.

            Many Christians, who are physically repulsed at the thought of same-sex marriage are 

totally oblivious to the fact they are trying to achieve the same thing on a spiritual level: they 

are trying to force community through uniformity (forcing homogeneity instead of heterogeneity.)

            I wonder if God is spiritually repulsed by that?

Five Things I Think I Think

(with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. For some reason, I can’t get fired up about college football this year. The BCS race just 

doesn’t do it for me. Maybe it has something to do with the Southeast Conference West having 

the top three teams.

2. Still, I wish I could have seen the Baylor/OU game Saturday night. Robert Griffin III is a MAN.

3. Nice to see Vince Young enjoy some success again. That was a crucial drive he led against 

the Giants last night.

4. Haleigh is in town, so we started over the weekend watching the second season of 24 on 

Netflix. What do I do this? I’m going to bed so late every night. I can hear Haleigh’s voice 

reverberate in my head, “Oh, come on! Let’s just watch one more episode.”

5. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Be safe.

What Church Should Look Like: A Community Where Different Races Can Come Together

            The L. B. J. Library contains an oral collection of an event that took place in the early 1960s. Politicians and true believers in the segregated South decided to pursue their agenda in a non-confrontational way.

            Somehow, they persuaded themselves to believe that the vast majority of their fellow African-American citizens were pleased with their second–class status. In their minds, since most of their black friends went about each day working as tenant farmers, day laborers, or domestic workers, quietly and without complaint, they were happy with their place in society. Hence, the mission of these politicians was to convey to the rest of the country this great truth.

            The leaders of this group found an older black man, who had been living by the Southern traditions for decades. They asked him if he would tell his story on a national television broadcast. He agreed to do so.

            A professional director was hired to film the testimony of the elderly gentleman. However, he insisted that the testimonial must be spontaneous to be authentic. Consequently, the old man “was duly positioned on the porch of his ramshackle cabin, seated in his rocking chair, attired in his tattered work clothes.”

            All was made ready and the director said, “Now when we get ready we’re going to give you the signal to go, and just start talking and tell people in your own words just how you feel.”

            The red light on the camera lit up in the director gave the old man the signal to talk. The old man asked, “Is it time to talk now?” He was assured that it was indeed, time.

            The gentleman asked, “Now can I say anything I want to?” Again he was assured, this time with more urgency, that he could indeed speak.

            At that point, the older black gentleman turned to the camera, raised his voice, and shouted, “Help!”

            This story summarizes in a grandiose way the struggle races have of bridging the gap of understanding. This is nothing new. My ancestors faced these challenges two millennia ago with the people of God.           

            As a Gentile, I am acutely aware of the implications of what Jesus was saying in the parable of the great banquet in Luke:

             15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”

             16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’

             21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet’” (Luke 14:15-24).

           

            Jesus was talking about my ancestors. Jesus was talking about me.

            To the Israelites, we Gentiles were the folks on the other side of the track. Luke relates in his gospel, and in his follow-up work, Acts, God’s heart for the Gentiles—God’s heart for the world.

            The Apostle Paul was one of the first Jewish Christians to understand God’s heart for the Gentiles. He traversed many rough passages to bring us into God’s community. He lost his life over this effort. Gratitude demands that I seek to extend to others the same blessings I received.

            The cross of Jesus accomplished many things. One was this: it broke down the barrier between Jew and Gentile. Expanding that thought, the cross broke down the barrier between races.

            I once heard Tony Evans say that the church is Heaven’s Embassy on Earth. I agree. The church should be the community, where people of different races can rally around the cross. We share a common identity in Jesus.

            Several years ago, an Anglo friend of mine attended a family reunion. In his family, some of the members had married people from different races. For example, one cousin married a Korean, another cousin married a Hispanic, and—well, you get the idea.

            However, the family did not sit around at the reunion saying, "She's Hispanic..." or "She's Korean..." The reason was simple. Each individual carried the same last name. Consequently, everyone was treated like family.

            That's the way it should be in the church. We all come together and we all wear the name, "Christ." And that's all that should matter. I wish it were always that way.

            It bothers me that athletic teams have historically done a better job of this than churches. Seems like they have demonstrated more unity as “Red Sox,” or “Cowboys,” or “Lakers,” than we do as Christians.

            I feel much of this has to with the common goal they share. Most players allow the goal of winning a championship to transcend their own personal desires.

            The community of faith encompasses so many areas of life, and so many of these areas seem to root deeper into the human heart. There seems something so deep and so personal about worship in a public assembly. I have lived in Papua, New Guinea (for a very short period of time), South America, and Texas. I find that people of the same race have trouble finding unity in a worship assembly. Consequently, I am not shocked that I often read that “the hour of worship is the most segregated time in America.”

            I suspect we will not overcome this barrier, until the common goal of demonstrating the Kingdom of God overcoming the racial divisions of people, surpasses that of fulfilling personal preferences. If we can achieve this, though, we just might inspire more people turn to Jesus.

Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. My daughter, Haleigh’s, basketball career is over. Saturday, she and the ETCA Lady Panthers played the defending state champion, Geneva Christian (out of Boerne), in an epic game.

            Geneva broke out to a 9-0 lead. ETCA plugged away, and plugged away, until they closed the gap at half time, 25-20.

            The third quarter, each team played savage defense. ETCA held Geneva to only seven points. Meanwhile, the Panthers scored only six themselves.

            The fourth quarter was magnificent. With a minute left, Samantha Phillips put the Panthers ahead for the first time in the game: 47-46. Geneva immediately went down the court and hit a three. ETCA had to foul, and Abby Leeder hit clutch free throws for Boerne Geneva. Ultimately, they won 51-49. Here is the link to TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH STORY of the game… http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20110227/SPORTS05/302279931

            Geneva deserved the victory. They played like champions.

            I harbor no complaints. Our girls’ two best games were their two last games. (Tuesday, ETCA defeated Wichita Falls’ Notre Dame 55-42.)

http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20110223/SPORTS05/302239975

            Geneva heads to the Final Four. However, ETCA has reached new heights. I am so proud of these girls. For the ones who remain—next year!

2. My son’s baseball team has already started practice. When I was a kid, we played baseball in the summers.

3. I haven’t seen THE KING’S SPEECH. Evidently, I need to.

4. I don’t know why, but ever since I saw ENCHANTED, I have liked Amy Adams.

5. I started reading LBJ, ARCHITECT OF AMERICAN AMBITION doing some research (this blog’s opening account came from the book, p. 467) and I had a hard time putting it down. Out since 2006, Randall B. Woods has written a fascinating book.