Entries in Life

I think that's my point: no sin is any worse than another. And we are all prone to slip up -- even the holiest people recognize how far they are from perfection.

And just as there are obese Christians, there are gay Christians.

And then there are judgmental Christians like me.

I certainly didn't intend to give the impression that I was excusing sin. I'm not. But just as it isn't my responsibility to go around telling every fat person in church they are a sinner, or to make judgments of them in the privacy of my own mind, I really can't say that it is my responsibility to do that to gay men.

It is too easy for us to slip into the role of "Thank you God that I'm not guilty of that sin" as the Pharisee did. When talking about sin, Jesus pointed us to self-examination rather than finding fault with others.

God is enough. God's mercy and grace is enough that I need not sin any more. We affirm this each Easter when we sing "Christ is Risen from the Tomb trampling down Death by death."

But I still do. Thankfully, God loves me enough so that when I return to him, he forgives me.

This is all pretty basic stuff.

Why is it that we understand it when we talk about our sins, but not theirs? (Whoever they may be.)

From St Nephon:

My child, if you want to live amongst people,
you must watch the following:
do not criticize anyone at all;
do not ridicule anyone; do not become angry;
do not despise anyone.
Be very careful not to say "so-and-so lives virtuously,"
or "so-and-so lives immorally,"
because this is exactly what "judge not" means.
Look at everyone in the same way, with the same disposition,
the same thought, with a simple heart.
Accept them as you would accept Christ.
Do not open your ears to a person who judges.