Various blogs have been hammering me for agreeing to speak to a group called the Gay Christian Network. I get tired of writing about this issue because it stirs up such a storm of controversy and little of the dialogue seems constructive. On the other hand, the church must keep engaging, and I know of no better way to engage than to hear the stories of Christians who are struggling personally with homosexuality. Some conservatives think the very term “Gay Christian” is an oxymoron. I wish they could attend a gathering such as the one I spoke to last week and hear the stories I heard. Rather than try to defend my decision just to speak to Gay Christians, I will quote here a letter from the head of GCN:
An Open Letter about Philip Yancey
From GCN’s Executive Director, Justin Lee
Since we announced that bestselling Christian author Philip Yancey would be addressing the GCN conference in 2011, questions have been flying, online and offline. “Is Philip Yancey pro-gay?” some have asked. “What are his views on homosexuality?” “Why would he agree to speak to this conference?” “Why would GCN invite him in the first place?”
Some have criticized me for extending the invitation, thinking an evangelical author like Philip is surely far too conservative to speak to a group like ours. Others have strongly condemned him for accepting the invitation, saying he’s condoning sin. Some have even called for other Christians to disassociate with him.
So I’d like to set the record straight on exactly what this conference is about and why we invited him.
When I was a teenager, I discovered to my horror that I was attracted to guys instead of girls. I was a deeply committed Christian growing up Southern Baptist, and I was firmly opposed to homosexuality in any form. Nevertheless, when I turned to my pastor, church, and Christian friends for prayer and support, they all turned their backs on me, condemning me for my temptations even though I hadn’t acted on them.
GCN began when I met other Christians who were in the same boat. All of us were struggling to figure out how to live holy lives with our same-sex attractions, and all of us had felt the church’s rejection. Some of us ultimately decided to commit ourselves to lifelong celibacy, while others of us decided to pursue monogamous relationships. In spite of our theological disagreements with one another, we all wanted to serve Christ, and we all longed for a Christian community that would hear our stories.
The annual GCN conference is a place for Christians to hear those stories and worship and pray together—gay and straight, women and men, some believing in gay marriage and some believing that gay people are called to celibacy. Our organization does not advocate for any viewpoint on gay marriage, gay rights, or any similar issue; our goal is simply to let people know that Jesus loves them and to provide a safe and compassionate space for the church to work through some of these difficult issues.
I invited Philip Yancey because I respect him as a Christian. I’ve always been impressed at how well he balances our need to live moral, holy lives as Christians with our need to have grace toward those who do things we disapprove of. I did not invite him because of any views he might or might not hold on gays; I invited him because this is a group of people who desperately need to hear not only that God loves them, but that other Christians do, too.
I have no idea what Philip’s views are on gay relationships, same-sex marriage, or anything of the sort. He’s never told me. Honestly, it wouldn’t affect my decision either way. That’s not the point.
Last year, we had a keynote delivered by Baptist minister and author Tony Campolo. Dr. Campolo believes that gay relationships are sinful, and he said so during his keynote address. He also received a standing ovation at the end—from an audience including some people in the very relationships he had just condemned. Why? Did they think he was supporting their decisions? Not at all. They applauded him because he was one of the very few Christians who would dare to reach out to them in love and say, “Even though I don’t agree with you, I love you. I hear your stories of pain, and I want to count you as my friends.” That message was powerful. It changed lives.
I don’t know what Philip Yancey will say in a few weeks when he addresses our audience. We’ve asked him only to say whatever God puts on his heart. I do know that his audience will be diverse: gay couples in monogamous relationships; same-sex-attracted Christians wrestling with the loneliness of celibacy; Christian parents struggling with how to respond to their gay children. One woman I know will be attending with a heavy heart, carrying the memories of her gay daughter, who committed suicide years ago after feeling her mother’s rejection.
As those people, with all their theological disagreements, come together to seek God’s heart, I can think of no one better equipped to speak to them than a man who has gained a reputation both as solidly evangelical and filled with grace toward others. And even though I’m sure he knew people would misconstrue it, I am so grateful that he had the courage to reach out to us in love. It is, I believe, exactly what Jesus would do.
Justin Lee
Executive Director
The Gay Christian Network
————————– (Note: if you have comments to make on this blog entry, please keep them brief and polite. I do not intend to make the blog a platform from which to condemn people holding different points of view. Also, please refrain from posting any URLs to personal blogs or other websites. Thank you. — Philip)
I am 63 years old, a white male hetero brought up in the Episcopal church, and a church musician. I consider myself very much a Christian, though not a slavish one. I have long admired and appreciated Philip Yancey’s writing and thought, and was recently re-reading his excellent “What’s So Amazing About Grace” when I came upon the chapter about his friend Mel, and Yancey’s difficulty with homosexuals. I find this “difficulty” annoying and frustrating. I don’t think I’m being simple minded to say that the matter seems simple enough to me. For ultimate authority, I look to Yeshua Ben Joseph, not to Paul or to any number of ancient jewish “authorities”, prophets, rabbis, etc etc. Yeshua was absolutely clear in his guidance on this issue: “Let those among you without sin cast the first stone”. “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way and sin no more”. “Judge not, lest ye be judged” What parts of those famous dicta do some folks not understand? The spectacle of a Christian fulminating against another’s “sin” is painful to me. Such behavior leads inevitably to Pride, and to hypocrisy. It also is often a ruse: “the lady doth protest too much, methinks” (how many more high visibility Elmer Gantrys do we need to learn this lesson?) It’s none of my business, or yours, who anyone sleeps with at night. If a person has humanity and humility and seeks to love others with compassion and grace, they are all right with me. Let’s get over this “thing”, people. We’ve got much bigger fish to fry.
It’s easier than all of this rhetoric and dialogue. Love God above all others. Love others as you love yourself. Act it, live it, be it!
Hi,
I am a Pastor and Missionary, also study theology fulltime at college. I wanst always these things. Not that one’s career deifnes who one is. Nor does one’s sin define who somebody is. First and foremost we are human. But God tells us in Romans Chapter 3 what state humanity is in. ANd that is in all falling short of God’s glory all being the fallen state of humanity. It is through Grace as Mr Yancey correctly states that we receive God’s gift of CHrist’s Spirit. That Spirit we then have choice to follow or not.
In my pre-conversion years I had been molested as a child. This as you may well imagine put pain and the demonic into my heart. In later years I would fall to drinking drugs and Bi Sexual lust. It tore me to pieces inside, because you see my Soul (My God given soul) new it wasnt right, it wasnt natural and two men anally penetrating each other (I am sorry that there is no other politically correct way of stating this), isnt love. Its lust. And its demonic. I nearly killed myself 5 times int he pain of that behaviour. I liked women yet would find myself reliving what happened to me as child and then wallowing in the self pity and depression and suicidal tendancies that followed. It was a living Hell that Only God knows How I felt. One day at near the bottom Christ came to me. Yes believe it or not He is alive and well and does come to the odd few. By Spirit of course. I wept like a baby. Whatever demonic forces had entrapped me, couldnt run from me fast enough in his HOLY presence. That was 5 years ago now. Since then I attended Bible College, became street chaplian and serve in a myriad of ways. I am new creation and I no longer take drugs or drink or indulgence in the lustfulness of my sinful nature – which includes male to male sex or out of marriage sex for that matter. You see it isnt love, its humans using each other in pain and thus causing more pain. When it goes to the level of male to male lust its then at the bottom of human depravity. You may judge my harsh sounding words all you wish, but you havent walked for twenty years where I walked. Most mornings I pray and weep to ym Lord Jesus for my biggest thanks is that the living hell of sodom is gone. I care for those still living in Sodom. I care knowing that only Jesus can set them free and I promise as a Pastor I wont condone the act, jsut as much as i dont condone any sinful act. I am to show love and to show the way. he is Jesus and sorry he wasnt having man to man sex either. But He can certainly drive demons out of people that lead us to doing the unthinkable to each other.
God Bless
I stumbled across this as I was reading about Phillip Yancey, whom I have enjoyed reading over the years. It occurs to me that people like me, who are married, and do not have homosexual temptation, may not fully understand the struggle with the ‘sin’ of homosexuality (I believe it is a sin). But we do struggle with ‘sin’ and all of us born again Christians do struggle w the fless in ways (gluttony, sexual attaraction to our secretary if we are heterosexual, whatever). So in this struggle with the flesh we can all relate. For some reason (and I do not pretend to know why) some people have a hard time admittinug that something is ‘sin.’ I could be off here, but it seems to me that if a person struggles with same sex attraction that is called ‘temptation’ and giving in and having sex is the sin. Frankly, as a married man with children, who has been faithful to his wife, I have been extremely tempted at times with other women, in my thoughts. If I allowed myself to have sex or intimate emotional relationships with other women when I wanted to, well, I’d have had many such relationships…but when the temptation passes, and the Holy Spirit gives me victory, it is God’s grace. I do not judge or condemn men who struggle with homosexuality, heck, who am I to judge what made that happen anymore than I can judge an alcoholic. I do not know how much of our bondages are demonic or how much is our own human nature, but I have never questioned that a heterosexual outside of marraige can’t sleep around, neither can a homosexual sleep around, if both are Christians, then battle it brother. I know we all fall, and both heterosexuals and homosexuals can fall into sexual sin when they let their guard down, do not put up holy boundaries, but to discuss if it is ‘sin’ or not is just rationalizing things. I am ashamed that the church has shunned gay men and women, we should be reaching out in brotherly , holy love, but not to condone sin, but to meet a friend in Christ,and stand with them to help them learn how to love with purity. God Bless any man or woman with same sex attraction who pursues holiness and celibacy. I love being intimate with my wife and it sure would be a struggle to be single, God Bless any of you who choose this path of celibacy…..the Lord Jesus reigns over sin, He alone is our Victor, and there is no foe that can ultimately win over King Jesus…yes….we Christians may stumble, but praise God we can grow in our faith, we are all Pilgrims on the journey. Lord Jesus, help us to love one another with your holy love and help us to reach out to those hurting…..be they lonely heterosexuals or others.
Mr. Yancey, thank you for acting as Christ would act.