http://www.huffingtonpost.com/micah-j-murray/why-i-cant-say-love-the-sinner-hate-the-sin-anymore_b_4521519.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-robertson/just-because-he-breathes-learning-to-truly-love-our-gay-son_b_3478971.html

Both of these articles are moving, and both of them are twisting scripture and God's nature (and our nature) a little bit. I disagree with them theologically, but in all honesty, if I were to face these people in person or have this happen to myself, I really really would be at a lost for words. I would do my best not be a "I told you so" or a "this is what the Bible says" Christian. I would do my best to sympathize. I don't really know what to do.

I try to remind myself:

It is not about how we were created perfect, and then sin came and ruin that perfect image in us. That puts the blame on the sin itself and somehow we were just innocent bystanders who got splashed by the mud. We need to remember that we are the rebels. We waged a war against God. We made Satan our father (John 8:44, in context extrapolated to all sinners). We are what the Bible calls "wicked" people. Over and over again in scripture. That is why when we come to have Christ in our lives, it is an act of redemption and repentance, a confession of sins. We realize who we are, wicked rebellious people like the Israelites, and we come before God in absolute humility since He has already paid the cost to take us back and bring us under His care again (prodigal son). To live a life worthy of the Cross is to live a life of repentance (Acts 26:20/Matt 3:8). Our sins were only forgiven once, by Christ on the Cross, so this isn't a daily penance but a daily reminder of the fact that our sins were already forgiven.

There are Christians who struggle with the lust of their sexual desires, both gay and non-gay, who are pushed daily to fall and be broken before God, to rely on His strength and love to make it through the day. They do not allow their sexual tendencies to become their identity. They realize they fall short and realize even more than the average Christian how much they need grace. Through this struggle they actually come closer to God by their humility. They are worthy of His calling. As their brother, I should be proud of them, and glorify my God.

Even as I write this, I feel like an unloving hypocrite. The question that pops up in me is "if I truly loved these people as God loves these people, what is the correct action I should do?" The parents asked the same question and followed the path that God needs to be their son's identity, that their son needs God more than anything else and He is worth it more than anything else. They lost their son and now have many regrets and grief. Just me writing this on my on blog makes me feel shameful for using them as an example. Didn't they trust in God enough? Are they now not trusting God when they said they ought to let God take control of the situation? Were they not allowing God to take control, following God's Word? Or were they not in their actions or heart? Were they at fault, and was their wish that they just acted out of love instead of following scripture was actually wrestling control from God instead of giving it to God? Were the parents really not loving their son, as they concluded? Their prayer requests reflected how much they wanted their son to encounter and love God, which shifted from earlier prayer requests of their son not doing certain things. Was it just too late?

Is it incorrect to say we are all sinners, rebellious and hateful of God? I know I am, and God had to take almost everything away from me to get me to realize that. I have to remember I was deserving of Hell and only Christ's death and resurrection can save me. I need to preach the Gospel to myself everyday, come to God in humility everyday, live a life in keeping with repentance everyday. If we truly loved our brothers and sisters, and also unbelievers, wouldn't we do our best to point them to the only thing that matters, the only thing in this world that can give life and fill the emptiness in us? And if we act or do anything that shifts that focus onto anything else (most likely themselves, that they are good and they are okay and their identities are not idols), then aren't we actually doing harm to them? The gravest of harms?

I want to say that our sin should not be our idols, that the boy should not have tied his sexual orientation to his (self) identity. His parents tried so hard to do it, and failed. I am sure many others wrestle with this too. Are self and sexuality truly inseparable? Is it by God's grace alone that this boy and others can transform their identity as sinners to sons and daughters of God? If it is, was there anything the parents did or did not do that could have saved their son?

I know these things above and ask the right questions. But seriously, if I were to go up to that couple who just lost their son and said any of these things, I would feel so unloving and so rude and so legalistic and so pathetic.

Sigh...wrestle. No answers.

Reminds me of this post