I don't think I have ever met a Christian man or woman who has not at one point asked this very question: Why, God, why? Things happen beyond our control and we are left with no answers, only questions. We want these questions to be answered, right away, nay, RIGHT NOW, and yet the answers never come. So we are left to ponder, to wonder, how to react and how to go on.
About a week ago, I went on Facebook and saw a friend's status update with an attached link to his blog. It was his "coming out" story. At first, I wondered what it was about. A lot of the times, people can use a double entendre for effect. However, as I read his post, it was clear that it meant only one thing. He had been struggling with feelings of attraction towards men and at this crucial juncture in his life, finally admitted to himself and to others the fact that he was gay. I must admit that my first reaction was sorrow. Sorrow because I could not imagine living with a secret like that alone. To feel trapped and isolated is one of the biggest traps that Satan has in store for a lot of Christians. I felt sorrow that it seems like he was afraid of what others might think/treat him after such a revelation. The Church is supposed to show encouragement and grace to everyone, believers and non-believers, and yet, too often, it has often been associated with bigotry and condemnation instead of love and compassion. I felt sorrow because it made me feel that the Church has once again failed to be the hands and feet of the Lord she serves.
For my undergrad thesis, I looked at the question of homosexuality and Christianity. I read so many articles concerning the topic. During that research, I realized how complex and multifaceted this issue truly is. It's so much easier to have a cliche answer, to throw some random Bible verse to the situation rather than theologically struggling with how we, as Christians, should respond to a brother or sister who comes out. Sometimes in the process of trying to find out what the answer is, we forget that this is not just some theological exercise to be won but that there is a soul on the other side of the equation. We can't forget that a human being is the recipient of our answer, not a theoretical argument thrown in the air. The love and compassion that God calls for us to exhibit and to proclaim must still be heeded. There is a time for everything. There is a time for debate and discussions. But maybe that is not the time right now. Right now is the time to pray and to seek wisdom from above. This is the time to love a human being who has been made in the image of God. While we may ask the why right now, we must continue to show the world why the gospel of Christ Jesus is a gospel full of love and grace. Because at the end of the day, the why must always give way to the who.
