LGBTQ : Compassionate Engagement

I've come to learn that how we think people perceive us, or are going to perceive us, factors more into our everyday decision making than we might realize. As LGBTQ+ issues and policies continue to make headlines and to surge in public and private discourse and debate, it's been my experience that churches who do not endorse a non-hetero view of gender and sexual normativity can often feel like there's only two ways of being perceived by the LGBTQ+ proponents. Awkwardly tone-deaf or unfairly selective. And these churches can feel like they have no choice but to choose between the two.

If churches remain silent on the issues, then they can be perceived as being tone-deaf and not caring for those who feel marginalized. The church's awkward silence unintentionally communicates that these issues are unimportant to them. Subsequently and sadly, people who identify as LGBTQ+ can feel like they are unimportant to the church or unwelcome in the church. On the other hand, if churches seek to lovingly and publicly address these issues and explain why they believe what they believe, then they can be perceived as being unfairly selective. For example, addressing the sin of homosexuality while neglecting to address the sins of greed, pornography, unlawful divorce, etc. is at best very unfair and inconsistent, and at worst highly hypocritical. But what if there was a third approach? Instead of being perceived as unwelcoming and/or hypocritical, what if there was another optic?

Instead of awkward silence or unfair selectivity, could it be possible for churches to be perceived as compassionately engaged? What would it look like for the church to be engaging with these sensitive subjects in a way that is both compassionate to everyone and true to the Bible? Part of our vision as a church is to be a community of compassionate Christians. But is that even possible when it comes to these topics? It has to be. So, let's say a church is more even-handed in the sins it addresses, could they then lovingly disagree with any of the LGBTQ+ positions and still be perceived as compassionate? Or does full endorsement mean compassionate and nothing less than that? Is it possible in our cultural moment to compassionately disagree with someone on these issues and still be perceived as compassionate?

To be honest, I'm not sure. But our church is going to try, because we cannot remain silent and we cannot be unfairly selective. Thankfully, there's another option. As a church we can, and we must, do the hard work of being compassionately and fairly engaged while staying true to our ethical beliefs. As it says, "Jesus had compassion on the multitudes...and he began to teach them." Jesus was compassionately present and truthfully engaged. Compassionate engagement. Let us follow in his steps.