I need help knowing when to open my mouth and when to keep it shut! (Even when I know
I’m right.)
My suggestion is for you to reflect on instances when you have said something that you
later regretted, and then ask yourself whether it is more important to be right or more important
to be on good terms with people you know. I also think it’s all right if you express your opinion
if you are able to really hear another person’s opinion as well. It isn’t as important that you both
agree in the end, but more important that you both walk away from the conversation feeling
heard and respected. If you end up saying something you regret, you can ask for forgiveness and
keep trying to do better. We all need grace.
What does scripture say about marriage?
What does scripture and Jesus say about marriage/who can marry? Is marriage between a man and women only or can LGBTQ persons legally marry?
As you are probably aware, the issue of same-sex marriage is a controversial and potentially divisive issue in the church. My personal belief is that the Bible is silent regarding who can and cannot marry. The only time I can recall Jesus speaking about marriage is in Mt 22:30, but his comments are in response to Pharisees who are trying to trap Jesus, and are really more about resurrection than marriage. As is often the case, the context of what Jesus is saying is important.
The second part of your question asks if LGBTQ persons can legally marry. In the United States, the answer to that question is determined by individual states, and within Illinois, same-sex marriage is legal. However, I think you mean to ask what the Bible sanctions. Different people answer that question differently – and very passionately. I am providing links below that present opposing views, and you can find people with each of these views within the membership of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
https://www.hrc.org/resources/what-does-the-bible-say-about-homosexuality
https://calvarychapel.com/posts/marriage-by-design-understanding-the-bibles-perspective-on-homosexuality/
How do I show love?
How do I show love?
What is love? At its heart and very roots love is caring deeply about people and caring calls for “action” that puts flesh and bones to love. It certainly is not sentimentality. Sometimes love to be tough, but always caring. Love requires a deep commitment to other people in which the self is set aside to caring things can be carried out. Maybe it is contributions to the food pantry, maybe it is being sure a handicapped person gets needed transportation or food. Maybe it is sitting with someone who is very ill or maybe something as simple as a telephone call or a card or babysitting. God does use you for this. It is a fantastic experience.
What can be done about all the division in our country today?
Questions: What can be done about all the division in our country today? How can I love a neighbor who is detestable?
These are difficult but crucially important questions. Shortly after receiving these questions, I came across a thoughtful and challenging article written by Adam Russell Taylor in the October 27 issue of the Sojourners newsletter, which seems to me to provide a way to think about how we may respond to the polarization and division in our nation.
Taylor suggests we begin with the church and affirms that “The church should be a place where people with divergent political views can coexist and be in fellowship because our unity in Christ supersedes our political and partisan loyalties. As the Apostle Paul reminded the Galatian church, in Christ ‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’”
And yet, polls indicate that a majority of Christians prefer to attend churches where people already share their political views. And in many churches, the minister feels constrained to avoid raising issues over which the congregants may be divided.
Despite this, the church cannot simply disengage from politics. That would mean abdicating “the church’s critical role in serving as an instrument of justice, righteousness, and peace in the world.” Rather, the church should “serve as a balm, a bridge, and a beacon in an increasingly divided nation and world.”
To serve as a balm “requires a deep commitment to reconciliation, telling the truth, and repairing relationships broken by injustice.” This includes being honest about how our churches have often failed to display the inclusive love that was exemplified by Jesus.
Pastors and lay leaders need to remind their congregations of the biblical values of loving our neighbors, exhibiting kindness and faithfulness, and, at the same time, the courage to stand up for our beliefs.
Finally, Taylor points to the concept of the “Beloved Community,” which he suggests “is one in which every person is valued, is seen, and is enabled to thrive. It requires building a society in which neither punishment nor privilege is tied to race, ethnicity, gender, religion, ableness, or sexual orientation.”
Churches, their leaders, and their members could use this vision — which is rooted in Christian values — to draw people of differing political views into a commitment to a common goal: attempting to become the Beloved Community. Perhaps this commitment could help us overcome the divisiveness and polarization so prevalent in our country.
The whole article is worth reading and contemplating. It may be found at: Taylor, Sojourners
