An Unlikely Convert

As I have mentioned in several past posts, I read a lot and am just reading a book that I had read back in 2018 and found something that I missed back then.  Or maybe it is just because the LGBTQ 'conversation' seems to be everywhere!

Rosario Butterfield was an English professor at Syracuse University and was in a lesbian relationship and completely involved in her gay community.  After she had published in her local newspaper a critique of the Promise Keepers for their gender politics, she received a lot of mail: hate mail and fan mail.  But one letter stood out from all the others from Ken Smith the pastor of the Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church.  It was a kind and inquiring letter that encouraged her to explore the kind of questions that she could admire. How did you arrive at your interpretations?  How do you know that you are right? Do you believe in God?  He didn't argue...he invited her to discuss those ideas more fully.  It was the kindest letter of opposition that she had ever received.  So, she called and he invited her to dinner and offered to meet her at a restaurant with he and his wife if she was concerned about going to the house of a stranger.  

The most memorable part of the meal was his prayer.  It was not pretentious; it was actually a private and honest utterance and it felt real, important and transparent.  This 70's something couple did what Jesus calls us to do - invite the stranger in.  A simple meal at a pastor's house was the beginning of her two year 'journey' to Jesus. One that she did not at all expect to take place!

The point of this post is what follows...

When she felt the call of God on her life, she prayed that God would reveal her sins to her and help her repent of them.  At that point she didn't understand why homosexuality was a sin, why in fact something in a particular manifestation of same-gender love was wrong in itself, but she did know that pride was a sin, so she started there. She wondered if pride was the root of all of her sins and was it the real sin of Sodom?  She had always thought (and so had I), that God's judgement on Sodom was clearly about homosexuality.  But as she read more deeply in the Bible, she came across Ezekiel was indicted for 'materialism and neglect of the poor and needy and that homosexuality was a symptom and an extension of these other sins.  (Wait, what?)

God said: "Look, this was the iniquity of Sodom: she has pride, fullness of food, abundance of idleness; and didn't strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. They were haughty and committed abomination."

Wait!  She went on to say that there is nothing inherently sexual about the sins of pride, wealth, entertainment-driven focus, lack of mercy and lack of modesty.  Instead, we see God warning us that if we indulge in the sins of pride, wealth, entertainment-lust, lack of mercy and discretion - then you will find yourself deep in sin and the type of sin may surprise you.  

Believe me, I know what she says next is true...God is a God of mercy, redemption, second chances and salvation and He was using that example to say that He was angrier at the religious people of Jesus' day than the inhabitants of Sodom.  (Matthew 11:23-24).  

This was a major check for me!  I am indeed prideful and have bought into the entertainment driven focus of our day.  Do I lack mercy and/or modesty?  I am checking on that.  

I know that's a lot...peace is wished for you today.

DRB