Clutter...

       I once heard our pastor share this story.  At that time, we attended a church that was somewhat secluded, surrounded by trees and water - a really beautiful natural setting.  For days and then weeks, two cars would park on our parking lot, side-by-side, right at lunch time, Monday through Friday, like clockwork.  Immediately,  a woman would hop out of her  car and  join the man   in the other car.  Clearly all they did was eat lunch together but as this continued day after day, the staff began to wonder what was up.
     Finally the senior pastor walked out to the car, knocked on the driver's window and introduced himself.  They seemed happy to  meet him and shared their first names, shook hands, etc.  Then he said something like, "I know this is crazy but I'm wondering... are you guys married?"  They eagerly said yes and held up their ring fingers to show that they were.
     Then he asked them if they were married to each other.  They didn't look quite so eager and   admitted that they weren't - that they were, in fact,  married to other people. Still, they were in love and planned to get a divorce some day so it was okay.
      The pastor told them as nicely as he could that God really wasn't for extra-marital affairs.  They responded by looking at him as if he'd grown two heads or something and at that point, pinned in the "headlights" of their disdainful stares, he said he really wished the heavens would open up and a loud voice would bellow out, "He's right, you know!"
        I think we all have days like that, where we'd like a little more sight-walking and a little less faith-walking -  where what we say is backed up by something so supernatural that it gets everyone's attention and proves that faith is, in fact,  the sensible way to go.
       Right now, I'd like that to happen for a variety of reasons.
       For one, I'm tired of hearing about homosexuals and chickens and hypocrites. I'd really like for a Heavenly voice to sound out on this issue and I really believe if that happened, it would be in line with the first chapters of  Genesis as well as  Romans 1.
       I also believe it would be accompanied by earth attention-getting pronouncements affirming the Biblical stand on gossip, all types of immorality, lying, lusting, cheating, stealing, lack of faith, selfishness,pride, anger, and so on.
       Homosexual, heterosexual - is one group better than another, nicer than another, etc?  Does either group have a monopoly on hypocrisy or sin?    I don't think so. The Bible basically says we are all in the same boat (sin), rowing to the same tune (I, me, my, myself).
      For the Christians who ate chicken yesterday across the nation, this issue is not about hypocrisy or the lack thereof. It's not about chicken or even really about sex. It's about three little words:  The Bible Says...
      Sometimes you have to take a stand for what you believe to be the truth and that's what Dan Cathy did. The rest, as far as I can tell, is verbiage, clutter.
      Do you have the right to take a polite, verbal stand for what you believe is the truth?
      If you don't, then we're all in trouble.