Stop. Put that Bible Back on the Shelf.

Adam Walker Cleavland’s recent blog post on the church, the Bible and homosexuality has been sitting with me for a couple days. You should really just read the whole post, but essentially Cleavland is suggesting a couple actions for Christians on the homosexuality issue.

1. Get to know some homosexuals. There are homosexuals out there, and Christian ones at that, give them a chance hear their story, walk with them for a bit. Who knows you may (gasp!) make a friend or experience a little change of mind.

2. Let the Bible rest a little. This recommendation comes from Cleavland, who I would venture to guess, is in Phyllis Tickle’s boat. Tickle suggests in The Great Emergence that the Reformation may have replaced a human pope with a paper one. Now the question of biblical authority is what has been sitting with me most about Cleavland’s post.

Walker’s first suggestion is a matter of practice; spend some time with some homosexuals. If you are already gay, good job you’re ahead of the game.  There nothing like a little practice to teach a person a thing or two about how the world works and what they believe.  The second suggestion of Cleavland’s centers around (and this may be the little Barth on my shoulder) starting with Christ! It is only Christ as the Word of God that we can begin to understand all of this. Some of you are thinking, but Christ was pretty quiet on this in the gospels.

What is the living Christ guiding us to do? How is Scripture with the work of the Holy Spirit guiding us? What are the attitudes and actions we should take? Here I completely agree with Cleavland, we need to look at Christ and set our Bibles on the shelf for a bit (that little Barth is getting a bit red-faced) and be mindful that the Bible “is the manger in which the Word of God is laid.” (thanks Marty)

I think Cleavland may be right in his suggestions, even if people come to different conclusions. Some still haven’t made up their minds.  It’s always good to try walking with people in ministry a bit, this article reminds us of that. Let’s stop waving flags and ribbons and plastic stick-on fish. This is the season we celebrate John the Baptist who pointed to the One who has finished it all. We are all already forgiven, lets find a way to walk together in that reality for the radical inbreaking of the reign of God, we might see some healing and some community formation along the way.