Keeping the light on

The scene: An antebellum mansion serving as a Christian retreat house in the semi-countryside. A small staff and 15 other sojourners, all singles and mostly in their 20s, who had come for a longer stay as students, some local, some less local, one from Canada and one from the Netherlands.

I was also there that weekend at a lecture series by the director, offered in the large and cozy mahogany-wood-paneled library and open to the wider community. The topic was Tolerance, and we gleaned such nuggets from the speaker as that there is a difference between “pluralism” (good) and “relativism” (bad), and that Christians should exercise a right kind of tolerance toward those with whom we differ.

At one point in the talks a staff person mentioned ongoing, heart-searching policy discussions among themselves about whether to break with past practice and allow a visiting gay couple in the future to use the married couples room, as federal law now sanctions gay marriage. The implication was that Christians obey the law of the land.

I had the feel of the room and sensed something less than a resounding “NO” to that idea, even among the gray hairs. My heart burned within me as I raised my hand and was acknowledged, and said, “Do we still believe in heaven and hell?” There was muffled and uncomfortable laughter at this, as it had been a lovefest up to now. I quoted Peter’s reply to a government at odds with God’s command: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge” (Acts 4:19). I added that we would have to hate a person very much not to warn him that practitioners of homosexuality will go to hell.

My heart burned within me as I raised my hand and was acknowledged, and said, ‘Do we still believe in heaven and hell?’

What happened next is what always happens these days when I volunteer that practitioners of homosexuality will go to hell unless they repent. Someone in the audience hastened to suggest that maybe homosexuality was no worse a sin than pride and arrogance. Ahem. There was a low rumble of agreement to that, and then someone from another corner of the room added in sync, “How do we know they are going to hell?”

When I buttressed my view with Paul’s in 1 Corinthians 5:11, someone swiftly objected that the sins of greed, idolatry, drunkenness, and swindling are mentioned in the same basket with homosexuality. I heartily agreed with that. People guilty of unrepentant habitual idolatry, reviling, drunkenness, and swindling will not enter the kingdom either. We do not lower homosexual perversion in gravity, but elevate these others.

Another chimed in, “Jesus partied with sinners,” and unanimous approval mixed with relief began to settle once more upon the ruffled peace of the gathering. The woman who had spoken first challenged me, “How did we get saved?” It was a rhetorical question meant to elicit the response, “By grace through faith apart from works.” But only a debased and glib faith produces no works, and it would not pass muster with James. My husband sitting next to me called out, “Repent and believe,” referencing Acts 2:38. We must have looked as thick as thieves.

Hospitality was the next reason given in support of gays in the couples bedroom. My heart pounding so much that I thought it must be obvious, I painted a scene of the Apostle Paul holding Bible studies downstairs in the parlor while men committed sodomy upstairs. What gospel would we then have to offer them? We have already given away the store. The takeaway message is loud and clear: Christians are OK with fornication in their ministry house. And they’re the tail of the parade, to boot.

Whether the irony of this scene at a Tolerance conference was obvious to others I do not know. We shall see by and by how it plays out. The state could shut them down if they take Peter’s stand, of course. Then they would join that noble throng outside the gates for Christ. Better by far to keep your lampstand burning than to sell your soul to keep the lights turned on.

Email aseupeterson@wng.org