Get to Know the Person

 This is a phrase one hears a form of in many contexts nowadays. If you have a fear of Muslims, someone will tell you to get to know them and you might find that there just like you. The same goes for people who have negative feelings about Blacks, Hispanics or Asians. And, the same is said in the context of discussing our attitudes towards individuals of the LGBTQ community.

There was a time, a while back, when my response to this idea would be ‘No.’ If you have a principle, a belief, does that not surpass everything? I have changed my mind on that. We just have to look at the history of the Judeo-Christian religious groups to see where that got them. Many in Palestine in Jesus' day were so sure of their beliefs and principles that they couldn't recognize God when he was standing right in front of them in person. Rather than let themselves to get to know the person Jesus and listen to his story, which might have risked their having to change their beliefs, they actually, as we know, ended up killing the person. Indeed, Jesus had predicted that in his stories.

Are some of us guilty of the same faulty line of thinking when it comes to our attitudes to the LGBTQ community? We cling to beliefs and principles that we have learned sometime in our lives. We stay away from these individuals rather than get to know them and listen to their stories. If we did, we might find that they are just like us. Indeed, when it comes to faith, we might find that some of them believe pretty much like we do and claim to have a good relationship with Jesus, just like some of those who don't want to get to know them claim. Would we believe that they are lying?

The gender issue is a big one in our Mennonite circles these days. Not that many years ago it was divorce and remarriage. That doesn't seem to be much of an issue for many of us now. Many of us have good friends who have divorced and remarried. We let them hold positions of authority in our congregations, whether it be on church council or teaching or even preaching from the pulpit! All of that has happened in our congregation.

So, what happened? Jesus really never said anything directly about gender, as we know. But he did talk negatively about divorce and remarriage [Mark 10:1-10]. So how come we don't seem to listen to something he said, but come across very strongly with our views on something he never talked about? Are we being hypocritical? I'll leave those thoughts with you.