Augustine, on God

Augustine of Hippo is the most influential Christian thinker between the apostle Paul and the Reformation (although Thomas Aquinas may be able to give Augustine a run for his money).  This excerpt from the beginnng of Augustine's Confessions is an example why.  It offers more insight for contemplation than you'll find in entire books of theology, or an entire lifetime of a preacher's sermons.  While translators typically present it as prose, I've laid it out in a poetic form to make it easier to reflect upon.  (The translation from the original Latin is by R. S. Pine-Coffin).

You, my God, are

      supreme,

      utmost in goodness,

      mightiest and all-powerful,

      most merciful and most just.

You are the most hidden from us and yet the most present amongst us,

the most beautiful and yet the most strong,

ever enduring and yet we cannot comprehend you.

You are unchangeable and yet you change all things.

You are never new, never old, and yet all things have new life from you.

You are the unseen power that brings decline upon the proud.

You are ever active, yet always at rest.

You gather all things to yourself, though you suffer no need.

You support, you fill, and you protect all things.

You create them, nourish them, and bring them to perfection.

You seek to make them your own, though you lack for nothing.

You love your creatures, but with a gentle love.

You treasure them, but without apprehension.

You grieve for wrong, but suffer no pain.

You can be angry and yet serene.

Your works are varied, but your purpose is one and the same.

You welcome all who come to you, though you never lost them.

You are never in need yet are glad to gain,

never covetous yet you exact a return for your gifts.  

We give abundantly to you so that we may deserve a reward;

      yet which of us has anything that does not come from you?

You repay us what we deserve, and yet you owe nothing to any.

You release us from our debts, but you lose nothing thereby.

You are my God,

      my Life,

      my holy Delight.

But is this enough to say of you?

      Can any man say enough when he speaks of you?

Yet woe betide those who are silent about you!

      For even those who are most gifted with speech cannot find words to describe you.

Can I Come to Your Church?

“Can I come to your church? I’m gay.”

No one’s ever asked me that question.  Maybe it’s because churches in general have a reputation for being less than welcoming to homosexuals.  Maybe it’s because they’ve heard comments from congregation members which give the clear message that there’s no place for gays in our church.

Our church prides itself in being a caring, supportive family of faith that welcomes and includes everyone.  As someone once said to me, “We take in strays.”  But are there some “strays” that we turn away?  Are we failing to live up to our calling and identity?

Some people in our congregation believe that homosexuality is a sin, perhaps worse than most other sins.  Others in our church think that sexual orientation doesn’t make any difference.  Whatever you believe, I hope we’d all agree that it’s not easy to be gay in our society.  It’s a burden.  And Scripture tells us to carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).  When we turn a cold shoulder to someone who is gay, we block ourselves from being able to accompany them as they seek to be faithful to God in circumstances that those of us who are straight can only imagine.  We force them to carry their burden in secret, afraid of how we might respond to them.  The devil loves secrets; when we keep our struggles in the shadows, he can use them to torture us and block path for us to experience Christ’s grace.

We churches are not doing a very good job of letting gays know that there is a place for them in God’s family.  A recent survey of 910 homosexuals in western Pennsylvania, conducted by Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health, reveals that 75% of them have heard negative comments about homosexuals in their congregations.  Only 5% believe that their church would respond positively if they “came out,” while 80% believe they would face a negative reaction.

I’ve heard many well-intentioned people say that we should “hate the sin, not the sinner.”  The words that jump out in that statement are “hate” and “sinner:” certainly not words of welcome and invitation!  While it may not be as catchy, it’s more Christ-like to say, “We love you.  We will work together with you to discover God’s grace.”  During his earthly ministry, Jesus spent a lot of time with the notorious sinners of the day, like tax collectors and prostitutes.  I can’t picture Jesus saying to them, “I hate your sin, not you.”  Rather, I believe he looked at them as individuals, as people he loved deeply.  As he shared his love with them, they were able to discover ways in which he could take their shame and misery, and work a new thing in their lives.  As the church, we are the community of Jesus Christ.  It’s up to us to live up to whom we say that we are.

“Can I come to your church? I’m gay.”  If someone asks you that question, I hope you’ll answer, “You are a child of God, and deeply loved.  Welcome!”