Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage

Three years ago I wrote of my fear that the new Conservative-led coalition government in the UK would lead  to an erosion of religious freedom. This seemed odd at the time, but I saw that a failure to secure a majority would provide this oddly liberal Conservative leadership the opportunity to push forward legislation that would be contrary to fundamental Christian beliefs. Today, the House of Lords in the UK approved the government bill that gives marriage rights to same-sex couples - a significant piece of legislation that the Conservative Party did not include in its election manifesto. This is not the place to debate the merits of the legislation or the effects that the legislation may have (we are currently writing a position paper on homosexuality which we expect to have completed for Fall 2013). It does however warrant a few key observations:

First, the British government has earnestly sought a form of equality which has necessitated some groups being more equal than others. The government is pursuing a vision of tolerance, brilliantly understood by DA Carson in his book :"The Intolerance of Tolerance", where the truth claims of faith cannot be tolerated against the idol of new tolerance in which all ideas must be considered equal. Traditional Christian values are losing the equality battle in a terrible statement for western democracy and this trend is only likely to continue.

Second, a significant number of cases in which Christians have faced hostility are clearly linked to views on sexuality. The effects of this legislation must be monitored to see whether Christian freedom will be further eroded. I encourage you to occasionally visit "the Observatory" for an organization doing excellent work on monitoring religious freedom in Europe (http://www.intoleranceagainstchristians.eu/). As we seek to monitor trends in the US, the EU may provide a warning of what could occur in the US.

Third, this legislation, despite government promises, will likely lead to clear conflicts between faith and obedience to the law of the land, placing Christians in a position not encountered in the West for hundreds of years - in which we must choose whether to obey Caesar or Christ. Expect to see an increasing polarization of the church between those liberalizing their faith and those who continue to follow evangelical teaching (and a small side-note here: expect the latter to grow).

But let me close with a renewed call to the church. We are the light and salt of the world. We are called to bring Jesus to the lost. While we may disagree with this legislation, it does nothing to alter the call on our lives. This call may indeed become harder, but we find comfort that this often was the case for the church. And perhaps the church is better when its mission is harder. Paul wrote in Colossians 1:9b-14.  

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

You represent the Kingdom of Light. So do good works, bear fruit for the Kingdom and rely on the Father for strength and power.

My Personal Hero

Archie Jafta is my new hero.

It is interesting to reflect on those people that grab our attention. At best we admire courageous exploits, selflessness or other noble acts. At worst we make heroes out of actors, the wealthy and the rebellious, without any reason other than their worldly success and popularity. Well Archie is a man who you will not have heard of, and if you passed him on the street would pay him no mind. Or maybe you would, because there is an authority, a calm demeanor, strength and a love that emanates from him.

I met Archie at a prison just outside the beautiful town of Franschhoek; a prison famous for being the last that held Nelson Mandela. This is a maximum security prison and we were taken to its juvenile section. The inmates were all found guilty of murder, rape or other serious crimes. We experienced four different areas of this prison, seeing not just the brokenness, but the healing power of this man’s work as he brings a Christ-focused love to these young men.

His heroism struck me. It hit me hard, in the gut, for in his heroism I instantly saw my own weakness. Archie stood in front of a huge iron gate, two dozen young inmates standing behind him, tattooed with gang slogans, angry, bitter, mocking; and Archie spoke of love. He spoke of the good in these young men. He spoke of how he sees only the potential in them, potential placed in them by a loving Father, whose design has been warped by the sinful and hard world into which these men were born. I looked from Archie to the men and was amazed. All I wanted was to be as far from them as possible. Love? I looked at these young men and was deeply disturbed. They were so hard, had done such evil things. Many looked broken beyond repair. Yet despite all the outward signs it was clear that these young men respected Archie. His was not a gentle, easily manipulated love. It was strong and would not bend!

Three further prison blocks awaited us, each showing stages of change in the inmates - in appearance and attitude and in the neatness of their cell blocks. In the fourth we saw a miracle. In this final block the jail’s choir and soccer group were housed. These cells were occupied by prisoners who were committed to schooling, closely adhered to the prison and club rules, showed incredible personal growth and a positive attitude. We met many of these men. Surely, I thought, these were lesser criminals. But no; the first we met talked of how he had killed his best friend; the next, of how he raped. And yet, in these men, I saw Archie’s love fulfilled. It was almost as if he had prophesied change and healing in that first cell – which appeared impossible - and yet in front of us was the irrefutable result; men that were quite literally transformed. We talked, laughed and worshiped with these young men and I cannot think of many times of worship that have meant more to me or where I have seen such genuine love for God.

But Archie’s heroics do not end in the prison. Archie established a church; he founded an outreach center in the heart of the poorest community in Franschhoek which teaches basic skills, helps people find jobs, serves as a half-way house and even takes in poor families evicted from their homes. Archie is planning a second center 400 miles up the coast of South Africa. I have no idea how he does it all.

Archie is a hero, yet he would say that he is merely living the gospel of Jesus. His strength of love mocked my weakness. His capacity to see God in the most sinful people revealed judgment in my heart. But more than this he showed what a man or woman of God who truly lives the gospel can achieve. He doesn’t just believe in the power of God to transform. He lives it. His faith is expressed in action that knows, just knows, that God will work. Even God wants partners.