The Summertime Blues

Dear Crosswalkers,

I’m writing this from Redwood Christian Park on our last full day of Church Camp.  It has been a fantastic week, with many Crosswalkers in attendance.  Camp has been a great cure for the Summertime Blues.  But earlier this week, some news brought some of those unwelcome blues back into my life.

As you know by now, a federal district court judge named Vaughn Walker ruled that Proposition 8, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, is unconstitutional.  Two years ago, you may remember, California’s Supreme Court ruled that denying same-sex couples the right to marry was in violation of the state constitution.  So those who believe that marriage is properly between a man and a woman patiently followed the democratic process by gathering enough signatures to place an amendment to the state constitution on the ballot.  The voters strongly affirmed that marriage should be defined as the union of one man and one woman.

Again, the opposition turned away from the people and to the courts.  In this case, one man, Judge Walker – an openly gay federal judge – dismissed the hard work of so many, will of the people of California, and over five thousand years of human tradition!  It is a sad but remarkable example of judicial overreach, which is becoming more and more common as our county is becoming more and more polarized.

How should we respond?  Well, the Bible’s teaching regarding marriage is crystal clear, and because we love all people we should rightly wish society to reflect what is best for our national community.  Of course the legal battle will continue.  Those who carry the biblical standard will not give up easily.  Hopefully, our biblical heritage will prevail, and hopefully it will do so in a way that shows love and grace to gay people.  We do not want anyone alienated from the good news that Jesus came to bring.  However, if the biblical definition of marriage does not prevail, there is no need to panic.  The church of Jesus has endured much worse than this!  Perhaps God’s purpose is for there to be a clear distinction between his church and the world, between truth and falsehood, the secular and the sacred, light and darkness. Our challenge is to stand for our biblical values while showing great love and respect for all people.

Which brings us to this Sunday.  People of faith know this world is not their lasting home.  We are strangers and sojourners on this planet.  We learn this from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as from the New Testament.  The ultimate cure for the Summertime Blues is to know that God is still ruling this universe, and that our real home is with him!  This Sunday, we will continue our study on the faith of Abraham, who was looking for his eternal home.  We will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper, which is meant to be a sample of the promised heavenly banquet.  See you there!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie