Crossing the Line

Happy 2014! I initially dubbed this "the year of making good decisions," but I decided to rename it.

2014 is now officially The Year of Being Brave.

At church several weeks ago, someone mentioned a "chicken line" and the importance of crossing that line. If you stand by your beliefs, some people will get upset. Some people will be uncomfortable with the things you support, and some may even treat you differently because of your views.

But that's ok.

You see, 30 is on the horizon, folks. I've spent the past 29 years tip-toeing around issues that are even remotely controversial, because I was afraid to offend anyone.

But today I'm going to cross the chicken line.

Let's see...where to begin?

I did not grow up in the church. During my junior year of high school, a friend invited me to youth group and I reluctantly agreed. It was my first time hearing people talk about Jesus as though they knew him personally...and it rocked my world. I'm talking, turned my entire life upside-down. I started reading the Bible, to see what all the commotion was about.

Within a year, I became a Christian.

Since then, I've attended a few churches where homosexuality was blatantly condemned. Bible verses were used to explain why this behavior is inherently evil. Leviticus 18:22 is a popular one (fun fact: type 'Leviticus' into your search engine and see which verse pops up first). I accepted these interpretations as truth because it didn't really affect me...or so I thought. Being gay was unbiblical, and that was all I needed to know.

The funny thing about swallowing a pill is that its effects don't always hit you right away.

It took several years for me to investigate the matter more deeply. I began to realize that interpretations vary from one person to the next. Focusing on a verse in Leviticus might lead a person to one conclusion, while another person might find a different answer in Luke 6:37 ("Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned...").

I'm TIRED of this being such a big issue. Shouldn't we, whether Christians or not, start focusing on more important topics? Like treating other people with love, or standing up for those who have been bullied? I'm not saying a person should agree with things just to make others happy.

I am saying that maybe it's time to stop dwelling on little details and start paying attention to the bigger picture. Which probably definitely involves loving our neighbors.

That's all.

Below is a link to an article that really resonated with me. This woman says what I'm trying to express, and she does it with clarity & compassion.

http://rachelheldevans.com/blog/literalist-gluttony

Thanks, Ms. Evans, for crossing the chicken line...and helping me do so, as well.


Love,
Lisa