Across the country

I guess I haven't been paying much attention to the news lately...somehow the same-sex marriage controversy in California managed to allude me until this morning. Of course I knew about the different arguments and court rulings from years ago, but I wasn't aware it was in the news again. I was brought up in church, taught the Bible, and geared toward certain standards of right and wrong. The older I get though, I start to wonder how you know for sure exactly how hard you should fight to be right. Is being right worth everything? Do I believe that homosexuality is a sin? Yes. Do I believe lying is a sin? Yes. Gluttony? Yes. Adultery? Yes. Jealousy? Yes. We all sin. We sin every single day. We sin and pray and ask for forgiveness knowing good and full well that we will sin again. Does that make us less of a sinner than a homosexual? I don't know. I know that Jesus loved the unlovable. I know that He reached out to those who were considered outcasts. I know that he would minister to people others wouldn't even go near. As Christians, we're supposed to aspire to ge like Jesus, right? Are we accomplishing that by alienating a group of people by telling them their lifestyle is sinful, disgusting, and unworthy of being recognized under the law? I don't think so. How can you witness to someone that you can't associate with. How do you witness to someone you've cast aside because their choices are against your beliefs? How can you expect someone to hear your words and see God's love in you when it is all hidden behind judgment and disdain? Personally, I believe same-sex marriage should be legally recognized. I don't agree with it as a moral choice and I would not choose to participate in that lifestyle, but I do not believe it is possible to reach people while simultaneously condemning and segregating them. Jesus met people where they were....not where He was...not where He wished they were. He took them with all their flaws. Perhaps we could strive to do the same.