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Stan Dotson - Dean of Lifeworks
2/23/2005, 10:10:23 a.m.
Thanks Hilltop, and thanks Marc and Dirk, for a well-done balanced view demonstrating two of the ways Christians are interpreting the Bible and dealing with the social issue and with the gay and lesbian people in our midst. I want to add my thoughts to the dialogue: First, on biblical authority—we all “pick and choose” which ethical statements in the Bible are authoritative for us, and which ethical statements in the Bible we interpret as not having authority. The challenge is for us to be consciously aware of WHY we interpret the different passages differently.
Whether it’s Old Testament commands about food or clothing or hairstyles or treatment of enemies or or economic practices or gender roles or sexual practices, or New Testament commands about food or clothing or hairstyles or treatment of enemies or economic practices or gender roles or sexual practices, we all have some kind of lens through which we read the scriptures, some kind of underlying or overriding principle that helps us interpret these commands and decide whether and how they apply to us. For me, the overriding and underlying principle is agape love, the love of Jesus that he so clearly demonstrated. When it comes to relationships, some of the underlying and overriding principles I see in the life of Jesus are compassion (suffering with), fidelity/faithfulness, companionship/collaboration in ministry, respect/dignity, and there are many more.
Using these principles, I have to ask myself, can two people demonstrate these underlying characteristics of agape love and be in a loving relationship if they are of the same sex? I know they can because I have seen it over and over again—a friend from seminary who “married” his partner and is in one of the most Christ-like relationships I have ever seen; a family member and her partner who adopted a special needs child and have been incredible witnesses to my whole family of the love of God toward the disabled; a good friend from my wife’s college days who is one of the most gifted preachers I have every heard, and just got installed as the co-pastor of a fairly large Baptist church in Nashville where she and her partner have done incredible work for Christian peace and justice.
Second, the matter of what is sinful. When I was growing up, the same kinds of prejudices we now have against gay and lesbians were aimed at minorities and people of different Christian denominations. It was widely considered a scandalous sin for a black to date a white, or for a Baptist to date a Catholic. In my youth, these kinds of relationships were characterized as sins from the pulpit and in the Sunday School classroom and in youth group discussions, and there was ample scripture to back up the claims. In my own family, I have seen these understandings of “sin” melt away as my cousin married a black man and their son, now a teenager, is the pride and joy of the family. My nephew, a Baptist, married a Catholic and has learned what a great adventure it is to learn from each other and what each of these strands of Christianity can contribute to the other.
The Biblical passages used to justify these prejudices are now interpreted in the pulpit and in the Sunday School room and youth group in a totally different light. I hope that in similar fashion, one day we will understand the biblical injunctions against same-sex relationships to be talking about something totally different from the loving, compassionate, Christ-like relationships I have witnessed in my own life.
I do believe that sin is a reality in all of our lives, and regarding same-sex relationships, I see the sin being the prejudice and rejection that people in our society and in the church have toward people who happen to love people of the same sex. (No doubt there is also plenty of sin in relationships that lack compassion, companionship, fidelity, and respect, no matter whether it is same-sex or heterosexual). I find the Bible authoritative in my life, but I know that I, like everyone, interpret this Bible through a lens, and it is my goal to have that lens be the person of Jesus Christ.
The Bible is spiritually discerned, and what I can say with confidence is that the Spirit of Jesus Christ that I experience in my heart and mind has led me to bless and celebrate relationships I have witnessed in my life that are characterized by compassion, fidelity, companionship in ministry, and respect, whether those relationships are gay, lesbian, or straight. I hope that the Christians on our campus can find their own biblical authority through the lens of Christ’s agape love, and open their eyes to the beautiful ways our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters give witness to this love.
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