Christians and Same-Sex Marriage: How Should We React on Social Media

As we all know, on June 26th of this year, the Supreme Court of the United States of America has ruled that same-sex marriage is constitutional. This decision has raised hope and celebration for many, and sadness and disappointment for others. In the scheme of things, I am happy to discuss my own personal conclusions on this matter over email or in person, but I want everyone to go beyond personal beliefs on the subject for a moment. This blog post is not a blog about the Supreme Court decision. 

Being a Christian who has grown up in The Church all my life, at least half of my friends on Facebook are of the same religious persuasion. I've seen many reactions on my newsfeed over the last few days, from outrage to sorrow, to celebration. I want to take a few minutes to specifically address my Christian Facebook friends and family.

Let me start with a bit of my own story. My name is Karissa. I have a younger brother, whom I've always had a tendency to mother, and an older sister, whom I've always adored. One day, I was shaken awake to the reality of the LGBTQ+ community. My sister came out as queer. Someday, I will write a whole blog explaining what God has spoken to me through my sister and new family dynamics. For now, I will skip most of it, and say that God has given me new eyes for the sons and daughters that he loves more than we could ever imagine. And his heart longs for each and every one of his creation (despite sexual orientation)! He longs for us to passionately leap into his arms and be captured so strongly, that every hurt and pain melts away in his presence.

I feel that I have been given the blessing of having the opportunity to pray, process and ask God what my response should be as a Christian when faced with such a hot button topic in the US Christian community. I recognize that most Christians have not been face to face with the subject until now. I feel that God has called me to speak in this small way.

Here is the biggest thing that I've learned from my personal experiences: God does not call us to condemn. He does not ask us to express his righteous judgement, or even to call it out and proclaim it. In this day and age, most of our physical social time at the mall has been replaced by a computer screen, and it has become much easier to use our feeds as the modern day bullhorn. It is easier to type a paragraph about how our country is gearing up for judgement day than it was back in the day to shout it through a loud speaker. It is the same concept, none-the-less. I am an external processor, so I know that sometimes it is easy to spew unkind words without thinking about how hurtful those words can be, or even who we might be turning away from God. But let me take a moment to reflect on Romans 2, and remind us all that it is up to God to bring judgement. We are all flawed sinners. It is not our job to decide what we think God will frown upon the most. In fact, when we consider that it is true that God is the only one who knows the depths of our own personal sins, it is our duty as Christians to instead, take some personal time to repent of our own sins and the sins of the church as a whole. This includes the injustice that the church has done when faced with the LGBTQ+ community. 

But what then, should we do? We can't, after all, just sit back and do nothing! And that is the truth. We have to do something. We have to do what God is calling us to do and what he has always called us to do in the face of every situation! We have to love. We have to be a safe place for the broken. We have to choose words that rally the lost and hopeless, not push them away. What good does it do for God's Kingdom to tell the world that they will be judged, when we ourselves will be judged according to how we love our Father's children? So then, we Christians, who are called to a higher standard of love, should consider our words carefully. Is our intension to rally other people who believe the same thing as us against those who don't, or is our intension to be a safe place for those who God's heart longs for?

I want all of my Christian friends to consider this before your next post: "Is this truly loving? And if someone said this about heterosexuality, would I feel hurt or loved, safe or closed off from that person?" As the church we are called to love everyone with a Godly love that breeds security and healing. If change is going to happen in our culture as individuals or as a nation, it will happen because God made the change, not us. Our job as Christians is not to proclaim judgement. It is not to have public sorrow. It is not to post our personal feelings on the matter. If that last sentence got to you, I encourage you to mourn in a sacred place in the presence of God, or to vent frustrations to the Lord, or to pray in small groups together in secret. Because, how do brides feel when their friends openly express sorrow at news of their upcoming marriage? 

If you must post something online, post a reminder to Christians and non-Christians alike of God's affection for each and every one of us, no matter who we are or where we are in life."For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). I promise you that if you trust in the Lord fully, knowing that he is where true change comes from and that he has a plan for us all, there is no need to be sorrowful, afraid, angry or in despair. Have joy in the fact that God is good all the time.




References: 
NIV Bible Translation
Supreme Court Ruling Obergefell V. Hodges
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