Continuing on current excursions into discussions on homosexuality, Robert Gagnon recently responded to Justin Lee, who had wrongly used Gagnon’s work to make a point which Gagnon actually disagreed with. Lee had then made another misstep in making a further false claim and accusing Gagnon of lacking grace and adopting a particular tone. Lee claimed it should have been obvious to his readers, what he was trying to say.
What was obvious in the exchange is the need by Lee to do a mea culpa. But that is often a hard thing to do.
I particularly liked this extract:
Grace and love are manifested not in co-existing in the same fellowship with someone engaging in severe unrepentant sin but rather in waking up the offender to the folly of his or her actions.
See this for an unadulterated intellectual honesty: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/philosophicalfragments/2013/04/16/is-justin-lee-now-misrepresenting-the-fact-that-he-misrepresented-my-views-on-the-levitical-prohibitions-an-open-rejoinder-to-justin-lee-from-robert-gagnon/
Interestingly, Gagnon also made an offer to have Matthew Vines come along for a proposed public forum. I must view Matthew Vines’ you tube pieces soon to get a grasp of what guys like him say and how Gagnon’s work responds to that.
I am also increasingly convinced the way some people used passages like Matthew 18 though well intentioned, achieves an unintended outcome. When someone calls out a wrong, I dont believe that person is being judgmental or isnt showing grace. That act is simply one driven by an intolerance for a wrong. Amongst strangers, I dont particularly care if someone else is acting badly. Amongst people I care for and about however, if someone acts badly, I find keeping quiet an unacceptable tolerance. One needs to call it out – 1 Cor 5 (as Gagnon also pointed out) mandates and requires it.
I continue to hope those who wronged Jason would start to acknowledge the wrong and the resulting hurt.
Meanwhile, I hope to continue learning what the scriptures say on an issue which would surely become even more central in this new year. I believe Gagnon’s work would be of great assistance in this regard.
It feels like hard work and re-reading Gagnon’s work and the relevant text in the bible would be a big challenge but I wonder if this is the elixir to make things more purposeful. I hope it would do me good.
I am still grappling with my aspirations for this year. I need – want – something to work towards, a purpose if you like. Much of this (ie last) year has felt like biddin time and it can be frustrating.
I was listening to Phillip Jensen again this morning – this time on Genesis and as usual his teachings have been most illuminating. I had listened to this particular series a number of times before but I couldnt decide on what music to turn on this morning while in the gym so decided to listen to Phillip again and I’m glad I did. A sense of purpose and value is slowly returning.
Ante 