In
our previous post, I shared a promise that God makes to those who are
non-heterosexual, that they would be given a name and a monument that is better
than sons or daughters in His Church.
Jesus
and Paul affirm that those who are “eunuchs for the sake of the
Kingdom” are partakers of this promise if they remain celibate and devote
themselves to the concerns of Christ.
But
where does that leave the lonely disciple who longs for physical love?
Whether
gay or straight, those who are single and celibate in the Body of Christ must
wrestle with a very real need to love and to be loved by others.
Jesus
knows this. He already knows what we need before we ask, and so He has a plan
to address this need. What
Jesus has in mind involves a complete redefinition of family and friendship.
“Who
are my mother and sisters and brothers?”, Jesus asks.
Are
they not those who love Him and put His words into practice?
In
his ekklesia, everyone finds a safe place to be who they are, without shame. In
the Body of Christ, everyone finds a friend who will lay down their life for
them. In the Church that Jesus builds, everyone discovers a house full of
mothers, brothers, and sisters who all embrace them, welcome them, and love
them – not only in words, but in action and in truth.
The
community of Christ is designed to provide everyone with a family that won’t
forsake them; with brothers and sisters who will bear one another’s burdens;
with deep friendships that are stronger than death, and better than a wife or
husband, or sons or daughters.
In
the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Father has promised that everyone –
especially those who are alone – will be cherished, and valued, and profoundly
loved.
Granted,
not every church fellowship has fully realized this yet.
But
when the church fails to do this, everyone suffers. Not only the single and
celibate, but those who are married suffer, too. Because
everyone in the Body of Christ is intended to be welcomed, and at home, and
embraced, and loved.
In
the Jewish culture there is a concept of “Shalom” that extends to include
everyone in the community. If there is even one person who does not enjoy
“shalom” – which means having the food, clothing, shelter, warmth, and love,
that every human being requires – then none of us has “shalom”.
In
the Body of Christ, we are meant to ensure that everyone in our community is
loved. Jesus commanded us to love one another. Paul told us to bear one
another's burdens. John told us to lay down our lives for our brothers and
sisters.
If
one of us in the Church doesn't have love, then none of us really has it.
"If anyone....sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on
them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear
children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in
truth." - 1 John 3:17]
This means loving one another as Christ has loved us. It means opening our homes if need be. It means sacrificing our free time. It means sharing our meals, and our hearts, and our money, and anything else that is necessary to meet the needs of everyone in our Church family.
If we don’t live in His love, and experience His love, and share His love freely among those within His Body, how can we call ourselves the children of a God who is love?
-kg
**
If we don’t live in His love, and experience His love, and share His love freely among those within His Body, how can we call ourselves the children of a God who is love?
-kg
**
IMAGE CREDIT: Scott Laumann
READ MORE?
*NOT A SIN?
*THE NEW SAMARITANS
*OUR MISSED OPPORTUNITY
*BLESSED ARE THE EUNUCHS
1 comment:
Yes love and sex are two sides of a coin--love is caring for someone-sex or no sex--sex is sharing with someone your body--love or no love--God is love and God created humans with sexual organs and told them to have sex in order to multiply--loving equals justice and sex equals multiplication--love can be painful but sex is most pleasureable--I can love someone for their benefit--and I can have sex with someone for pleasure but God wants justice and He has it in Christ and when you have Christs rightness to your credit you will be a just person--sex or no sex.so when your figuring out your sexuality let justice be your guide so that Father will be pleased with the results--for only His opinion matters in the end.
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