Hello fellow reader,
First of all, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to peruse the rest of this (lengthy) post. These thoughts are the byproduct of a time of self-reflection, and may hopefully serve to be an encouragement for others as well.
When it comes to discussing hot topics like these, it is always crucial to keep an open mind to the various sides of the argument, and consider how we as individuals and as a society might reconcile these differences.
However, my intention in writing this isn't to make an argument for or against the repeal of section 377A. In fact, I'm not even interested to talk about the issues on homosexuality for that matter. I feel what has already been shared in this discussion so far has been discussed ad nauseam. What I'm interested to do here is to shed some light on why we (as Christians) are even engaging this discourse in the first place.
As such, I will sharing my thoughts in parallel to one of the best sources of Kingdom wisdom: Jesus' first discourse, or better known as The Sermon on the Mount. This sermon spans three chapters in the Book of Matthew but I'd like to make references to what Jesus says in a reversed order, starting from chapter 7 and moving towards chapter 5.
Observations
Why are we discussing this issue on section 377A in the first place?
Don't get me wrong, I certainly do think that these are matters worth discussing. I'm asking: "What is our main motivation behind sharing our stand and opinions on the issue?"
Through this whole recurring saga, I've observed three common Christian responses that are positioned on various ends of the spectrum:
The first Christian speaks fervently against the repeal of such a law, highlighting eloquently how doing so would undermine the institutions of marriage and family in Singapore, ultimately doing great damage to the social fabric that we have cultivated. He shares openly these views on social media, and engages in getting others to agree with his point of view as well. While his arguments are valid, his motivation to right a wrong (and possibly a lack of tact) is easily received by his opponents as 'brutal, blunt, hypocritical bigotry'.
The second Christian resolved himself to love his neighbours, and therefore, seek to understand and empathize with the LGBT community. He has a clearer picture of how these groups of people have been hurt before, and are in some ways still being 'oppressed' by the laws our society have put in place. He thus speaks out against these laws, and pushes forth his views to empower the 'voices of the marginalized' and to speak out for the 'right to love'.
The third Christian knows better than to get involved in such 'politics' unnecessarily. He decides that the wisest thing to do is to maintain neutrality, or at the very least, remain silent on the issue. After all, sitting on the fence keeps him shielded from both ends of the argument.
Let's have a look at what Jesus might be saying in response to each of these three Christians.
1. Matters of Maturity
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it it will be measured to you." Matt 7:1-2 (ESV)
This is a particularly poignant message for the first Christian. While a clear instruction to God's people, these verses also speak about the character of God - God rules with all righteousness and justice, and He holds each of us to the same standards. As such, the instruction comes with a harsh overtone: Be careful when you make a judgement on others, lest you be guilty of the same sin.
Jesus goes on to explain how it is crucial for us to first remove the log from our own eye first before we can even see clearly to take the speck out of our brother's eye. His point is succinct: Our repentance must precede our correction of others, else we are doing them more harm than good. To the first Christian: Yes, you are able to discern the judgement of God due to your knowledge of what is right. But be extra careful in how you wield this knowledge, for if your intention is to hurt the conscience of another or to simply have someone else do what you think is right, you may be subjected to the same judgment by God. After all, it is said: "On that day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me; you workers of lawlessness.'" (Matt 7:22-23)
Conversely, I have seen these verses about judgement thrown around flippantly to guilt trip others because someone does not like to be corrected. It is not Biblical to think that there is no place for correction or speaking of truth simply because these verses rebuke the one who makes judgments. In the same passage, Jesus explicitly instructs the repentance of one before he would go on to correct a brother. In 2 Tim 3:16-17, God says that "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
The Bible is clear on this: those of us who have the knowledge of God revealed to us ought to shoulder the responsibility of speaking its truth to edify our brothers than to hurt their consciences. Such a pursuit involves a keen attention to tact and a spirit of love, both of which may be considered hallmarks of a mature Christian.
2. Matters of Allegiance
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matt 7:21 (ESV)
This verse is a sobering one for all of us who are striving for God's kingdom. Jesus makes it clear that he who wishes to enter the kingdom of heaven must do the will of the Father. I will not go into detail what this means because I probably would not be able to cover its truth adequately. What I'd like to point out here is the question of allegiance.
The second Christian seeks to address injustice, or so he thinks. While his love for people and his desire to reach out to them is commendable, he does not actually understand who he is serving. When we fight for people, we do so with the understanding that we are agents of God's restorative justice. To be clear on my usage of 'restorative justice', I am defining justice as right relations between God, man, and creation. With that understanding, it makes sense to support the needy as God intends to be generous to them through His agents. It makes sense to support those who are lost and are looking for God for He seeks to reconcile with them and give them grace. However, it does not make sense that we stand by people to speak against what God stands for (in this case, the right relationship between man and woman).
In Matt 6:24, Jesus establishes that "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." It poses important questions to those of us who question God's character and divine quality on the account of the suffering of mankind: Who are you actually serving? Who is your allegiance to? Are you here to do God's will or are you here to do man's will?
This may be one of the most subtle idols in our lives: money, sex, power, and other gods may be easy to spot on the surface, but human relationships as idols in our lives can be hard to detect and are even more insidious, for it conflates the love for people with the love of people.
Aiden Wilson Tozer expresses this notion eloquently: "Modern Christians hope to save the world by being like it, but it will never work. The church's power over the world springs out from her unlikeness to it, never from her integration into it."
Jesus points out the remedy to this problem: trust. Trust in God isn't simply about agreeing with what God says and doing as instructed. It is about continuing to have faith in His character, that He is indeed good, loving and faithful, even when the things we perceive in the world are contrary to this; and we display this trust with our action, by continuing to do what is right and what is pleasing to Him despite the conflict we may feel within ourselves. Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. As Christians who pledge complete allegiance to God, this must be our first priority.
3. Matters of Indifference
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet." Matt 5:13 (ESV)
To the third Christian, indifference or fear is probably the main driver behind his behaviour. It could be that he does not feel adequate enough to speak about the topic. Perhaps he is confused about how he really feels about it. Or maybe he fears disapproval from others should he be vocal about his views against the repeal.
Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He refers to us as 'salt of the earth' (representing goodness, the noblest elements in society) and 'light of the world' (representing radiance of the light of Jesus). This means one simple prospect: Should we wish to do His will and tend to God's flock of people, then we must first embody the principles of kingdom living, and become what others are to become.
However, by sitting on the fence or remaining silent, this Christian really achieves nothing other than his own interests. There is neither an embodiment of the gospel nor a love for people. Such faith is powerless: the one who speaks out boldly may receive disagreement in opinion from his opponent but will certainly garner respect for staying true to his convictions and standing for them; but the one who proclaims to be an agent of truth but is barely compelled to speak or act wins neither the argument nor the respect from his opponents.
Jesus addresses this in The Beatitudes: For those who are met with confrontation and speak gently against it, "they shall inherit the earth" (Matt 5:5). For the those who are longing for righteousness, "they shall be satisfied" (Matt 5:6). For those who show mercy, "they shall receive mercy" (Matt 5:7). For those who strive for peace, "they shall be called sons of God" (Matt 5:9). For those who persecuted in their pursuit of righteousness, "theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:10). The persecution or afflictions that we bear are meant to be symbol of our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven, and calls for our rejoicing.
4. Matters of Perfection
"You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matt 5: 48 (ESV)
It is surprising to hear how most people loathe the idea of perfection, writing it off as an impossible standard, and therefore an unrealistic conquest for the modern Christian. The mistake lies in our faulty understanding of what perfection is. If perfection was about living a life void of mistakes (i.e. the life that Jesus lived), then our sinful nature would surely make that an unreachable goal.
But Jesus was not mistaken about what he said. He does call each of us to live perfectly. Allow me to suggest that what he was pointing out here was a life separate from the way the Gentiles live their lives. Jesus establishes that we are to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us, for even the Gentiles are capable of loving only their own, but we are to love those who may be our enemies as well. That is the defining quality that Jesus refers to: the capacity to love those who hate us. If we are to further distill this piece of knowledge, then we might suggest that this capacity exists solely in the life of one who loves God, for the godless are incapable of loving their enemies.
The fundamental implication here is that the love for God should precede all that we do in our lives. This is perfection.
In the context of this discourse on section 377A, there is much to be said. However, unless people know how much we care, they will not care for how much we know. Let us reach out to our opponents, careful to uphold truth and love, and embodying the very gospel which we speak of - we may not always win on the frontier of the battle, but we will certainly become fishers of men.
Cheers,
Matt
First of all, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to peruse the rest of this (lengthy) post. These thoughts are the byproduct of a time of self-reflection, and may hopefully serve to be an encouragement for others as well.
When it comes to discussing hot topics like these, it is always crucial to keep an open mind to the various sides of the argument, and consider how we as individuals and as a society might reconcile these differences.
However, my intention in writing this isn't to make an argument for or against the repeal of section 377A. In fact, I'm not even interested to talk about the issues on homosexuality for that matter. I feel what has already been shared in this discussion so far has been discussed ad nauseam. What I'm interested to do here is to shed some light on why we (as Christians) are even engaging this discourse in the first place.
As such, I will sharing my thoughts in parallel to one of the best sources of Kingdom wisdom: Jesus' first discourse, or better known as The Sermon on the Mount. This sermon spans three chapters in the Book of Matthew but I'd like to make references to what Jesus says in a reversed order, starting from chapter 7 and moving towards chapter 5.
Observations
Why are we discussing this issue on section 377A in the first place?
Don't get me wrong, I certainly do think that these are matters worth discussing. I'm asking: "What is our main motivation behind sharing our stand and opinions on the issue?"
Through this whole recurring saga, I've observed three common Christian responses that are positioned on various ends of the spectrum:
The first Christian speaks fervently against the repeal of such a law, highlighting eloquently how doing so would undermine the institutions of marriage and family in Singapore, ultimately doing great damage to the social fabric that we have cultivated. He shares openly these views on social media, and engages in getting others to agree with his point of view as well. While his arguments are valid, his motivation to right a wrong (and possibly a lack of tact) is easily received by his opponents as 'brutal, blunt, hypocritical bigotry'.
The second Christian resolved himself to love his neighbours, and therefore, seek to understand and empathize with the LGBT community. He has a clearer picture of how these groups of people have been hurt before, and are in some ways still being 'oppressed' by the laws our society have put in place. He thus speaks out against these laws, and pushes forth his views to empower the 'voices of the marginalized' and to speak out for the 'right to love'.
The third Christian knows better than to get involved in such 'politics' unnecessarily. He decides that the wisest thing to do is to maintain neutrality, or at the very least, remain silent on the issue. After all, sitting on the fence keeps him shielded from both ends of the argument.
Let's have a look at what Jesus might be saying in response to each of these three Christians.
1. Matters of Maturity
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it it will be measured to you." Matt 7:1-2 (ESV)
This is a particularly poignant message for the first Christian. While a clear instruction to God's people, these verses also speak about the character of God - God rules with all righteousness and justice, and He holds each of us to the same standards. As such, the instruction comes with a harsh overtone: Be careful when you make a judgement on others, lest you be guilty of the same sin.
Jesus goes on to explain how it is crucial for us to first remove the log from our own eye first before we can even see clearly to take the speck out of our brother's eye. His point is succinct: Our repentance must precede our correction of others, else we are doing them more harm than good. To the first Christian: Yes, you are able to discern the judgement of God due to your knowledge of what is right. But be extra careful in how you wield this knowledge, for if your intention is to hurt the conscience of another or to simply have someone else do what you think is right, you may be subjected to the same judgment by God. After all, it is said: "On that day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me; you workers of lawlessness.'" (Matt 7:22-23)
Conversely, I have seen these verses about judgement thrown around flippantly to guilt trip others because someone does not like to be corrected. It is not Biblical to think that there is no place for correction or speaking of truth simply because these verses rebuke the one who makes judgments. In the same passage, Jesus explicitly instructs the repentance of one before he would go on to correct a brother. In 2 Tim 3:16-17, God says that "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
The Bible is clear on this: those of us who have the knowledge of God revealed to us ought to shoulder the responsibility of speaking its truth to edify our brothers than to hurt their consciences. Such a pursuit involves a keen attention to tact and a spirit of love, both of which may be considered hallmarks of a mature Christian.
2. Matters of Allegiance
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matt 7:21 (ESV)
This verse is a sobering one for all of us who are striving for God's kingdom. Jesus makes it clear that he who wishes to enter the kingdom of heaven must do the will of the Father. I will not go into detail what this means because I probably would not be able to cover its truth adequately. What I'd like to point out here is the question of allegiance.
The second Christian seeks to address injustice, or so he thinks. While his love for people and his desire to reach out to them is commendable, he does not actually understand who he is serving. When we fight for people, we do so with the understanding that we are agents of God's restorative justice. To be clear on my usage of 'restorative justice', I am defining justice as right relations between God, man, and creation. With that understanding, it makes sense to support the needy as God intends to be generous to them through His agents. It makes sense to support those who are lost and are looking for God for He seeks to reconcile with them and give them grace. However, it does not make sense that we stand by people to speak against what God stands for (in this case, the right relationship between man and woman).
In Matt 6:24, Jesus establishes that "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." It poses important questions to those of us who question God's character and divine quality on the account of the suffering of mankind: Who are you actually serving? Who is your allegiance to? Are you here to do God's will or are you here to do man's will?
This may be one of the most subtle idols in our lives: money, sex, power, and other gods may be easy to spot on the surface, but human relationships as idols in our lives can be hard to detect and are even more insidious, for it conflates the love for people with the love of people.
Aiden Wilson Tozer expresses this notion eloquently: "Modern Christians hope to save the world by being like it, but it will never work. The church's power over the world springs out from her unlikeness to it, never from her integration into it."
Jesus points out the remedy to this problem: trust. Trust in God isn't simply about agreeing with what God says and doing as instructed. It is about continuing to have faith in His character, that He is indeed good, loving and faithful, even when the things we perceive in the world are contrary to this; and we display this trust with our action, by continuing to do what is right and what is pleasing to Him despite the conflict we may feel within ourselves. Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. As Christians who pledge complete allegiance to God, this must be our first priority.
3. Matters of Indifference
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet." Matt 5:13 (ESV)
To the third Christian, indifference or fear is probably the main driver behind his behaviour. It could be that he does not feel adequate enough to speak about the topic. Perhaps he is confused about how he really feels about it. Or maybe he fears disapproval from others should he be vocal about his views against the repeal.
Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He refers to us as 'salt of the earth' (representing goodness, the noblest elements in society) and 'light of the world' (representing radiance of the light of Jesus). This means one simple prospect: Should we wish to do His will and tend to God's flock of people, then we must first embody the principles of kingdom living, and become what others are to become.
However, by sitting on the fence or remaining silent, this Christian really achieves nothing other than his own interests. There is neither an embodiment of the gospel nor a love for people. Such faith is powerless: the one who speaks out boldly may receive disagreement in opinion from his opponent but will certainly garner respect for staying true to his convictions and standing for them; but the one who proclaims to be an agent of truth but is barely compelled to speak or act wins neither the argument nor the respect from his opponents.
Jesus addresses this in The Beatitudes: For those who are met with confrontation and speak gently against it, "they shall inherit the earth" (Matt 5:5). For the those who are longing for righteousness, "they shall be satisfied" (Matt 5:6). For those who show mercy, "they shall receive mercy" (Matt 5:7). For those who strive for peace, "they shall be called sons of God" (Matt 5:9). For those who persecuted in their pursuit of righteousness, "theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:10). The persecution or afflictions that we bear are meant to be symbol of our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven, and calls for our rejoicing.
4. Matters of Perfection
"You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matt 5: 48 (ESV)
It is surprising to hear how most people loathe the idea of perfection, writing it off as an impossible standard, and therefore an unrealistic conquest for the modern Christian. The mistake lies in our faulty understanding of what perfection is. If perfection was about living a life void of mistakes (i.e. the life that Jesus lived), then our sinful nature would surely make that an unreachable goal.
But Jesus was not mistaken about what he said. He does call each of us to live perfectly. Allow me to suggest that what he was pointing out here was a life separate from the way the Gentiles live their lives. Jesus establishes that we are to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us, for even the Gentiles are capable of loving only their own, but we are to love those who may be our enemies as well. That is the defining quality that Jesus refers to: the capacity to love those who hate us. If we are to further distill this piece of knowledge, then we might suggest that this capacity exists solely in the life of one who loves God, for the godless are incapable of loving their enemies.
The fundamental implication here is that the love for God should precede all that we do in our lives. This is perfection.
In the context of this discourse on section 377A, there is much to be said. However, unless people know how much we care, they will not care for how much we know. Let us reach out to our opponents, careful to uphold truth and love, and embodying the very gospel which we speak of - we may not always win on the frontier of the battle, but we will certainly become fishers of men.
Cheers,
Matt
