THE Question of the Church

I was struck by Ryan Robinson in his blog mentioning as to our response to LGTBQs (I prefer QUILTBAG, as you might know) as being the question for our generation.  That’s one of them.  We also have to still respond property to African Americans, undocumented immigrants and the homeless.   It’s okay, God will wait for us in all of these questions.

But it got me to thinking: is that really THE question?  Any one of these?  In my recent studies, I think that the question has been the same since the Sermon on the Plain:

“Be merciful as your Father is merciful.
Do not judge, lest you be judged.
Do not condemn, lest you be condemned.
Forgive as you have been forgiven.”

There are two paths we have been set: one of mercy and forgiveness and one of condemnation and judgment.  Pretty simple.  One is a path of love, the path of spiritual fruit, the path of doing God’s will, the path of obeying the full law of God.  The other is the path of the flesh, the path of human law, the path of anger, the path of hypocrisy, the path of death.

So the only question Jesus ever has for us is:

Which path are you on?

A century ago, the question was whether we would accept our black brothers and sisters as our equal.  For the most part, we chose the wrong option.

A century ago, the question was whether we would accept the Pentecostal movement as our equal.  For the most part, we chose rejection.

A century ago, the question was whether we would accept persecution for refusing to fight in war.  Many did, and supported those who did.

Eighty years ago, the question was whether we would help the destitute in their time of dire need.  Some did, some didn’t.

Sixty years ago, the question was whether we would continue to welcome those who fought in war, in opposition to the wisdom of the elders.  For the most part, we choose rejection.

Fifty years ago, the question came again as to whether we should accept blacks as equals or continue to treat them as inferior.  Some chose love, others chose prejudice.

Forty years ago, the question was whether we would accept the young who embraced pacifism, but had questions about other doctrines.  For the most part, we did.

The question hasn’t changed, just the groups we focus on have.

Are we welcoming our LGBTQ friends, or rejecting them?  Do we forgive them or judge them?  There is no third option.

Are we merciful to the homeless, do we give to the poorest among you or do you reject Jesus as unworthy of your church?  There is no third option.

Are we loving and listening to our black and native brothers and sisters, accepting their sorrow as our own, or are we closing your ears and rejecting their pleas of deliverance from racism?  There is no third option.

Are we hospitable to our Arab and Hispanic immigrants, strangers to our land, or do we judge and reject them for being unworthy of the blessings we have received?  There is no third option.

Will we have generous hearts, or be tight-fisted?  Will we love ourselves more than our neighbors or the other way around?  There never was a different question.