{"id":12611,"date":"2017-03-23T21:42:41","date_gmt":"2017-03-24T04:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dminlgp.com\/?p=12611"},"modified":"2017-03-23T21:42:41","modified_gmt":"2017-03-24T04:42:41","slug":"building-a-bridge-to-brokenness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/building-a-bridge-to-brokenness\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Bridge to Brokenness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

The \u201clens\u201d that we look at life through, are \u201cprescribed\u201d by a myriad of practitioners:\u00a0 family dynamics, socio-economics, religious involvement\/affiliation, and a host of other catalytic influences.\u00a0 We embrace the fact that we cannot control to whom and where we are born.\u00a0 We express our DNA through skin, hair and eye color, detached\/attached ear lobes, and certain physical attributes.\u00a0 The \u201clens\u201d that I was \u201cprescribed\u201d said that the sex you were born was your sex for life, and in time you would marry someone of the opposite sex in a covenant relationship called marriage.<\/p>\n

My how things have changed regarding lenses, practitioners, and normality; especially regarding sexuality.\u00a0 We live in a broken world that needs a Savior – Jesus.\u00a0 Interesting enough we become the bridge to broken people.\u00a0 We become light, salt, and a voice for Jesus.<\/p>\n

Andrew Marin, in his book, Love is an Orientation:\u00a0 Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community, <\/em><\/strong>encourages bridge building with the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender) community.\u00a0 Marin chooses not to do his \u201cbridge building\u201d from the comfortable confines of a university or suburban heterosexual church.\u00a0 Marin said that he, \u201c\u2026began this immersion during my sophomore year in college.\u00a0 I would go to Boystown with my best friends upwards of four nights a week.\u201d[1]<\/a>\u00a0 Eventually Marin gets married, he and his wife move in to Boystown as bridge builders.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Brian McLaren writes the Foreword for the book using the analogy of heroes.\u00a0 McLaren says, \u201cFools rush in where angels fear to tread<\/em>, the old saying goes.\u00a0 But the same is true for heroes.\u201d[2]<\/a>\u00a0 McLaren says that Marin is a hero who runs into the fray of dealing with GLBT individuals.\u00a0 After reading Marin\u2019s story, he was not afraid to go where many would \u201cfear to tread\u201d.<\/p>\n

The crux and challenge of the book boils down to one statement that Marin makes.\u00a0 \u201cChristians tend to perceive themselves as morally superior to GLBT people, based on the belief that the Bible allows only three options for connecting faith and sexuality:\u00a0 be heterosexual, be celibate, or live in sin.\u201d[3]<\/a>\u00a0 Even after reading the book and paying attention to Marin\u2019s exegesis of his \u201cBig 5\u201d (Chapter 7), I still lean to the three options.<\/p>\n

What Marin did do, is to help with the conversations and communications that need to transpire in bridge building between the GLBT and church communities.\u00a0 \u201cOver the years I have had many gay people tell me that is someone were to take away their sexual behavior, they would be taking away all they are as people.\u00a0 Same-sex sexual behavior is <\/em>the source of the inherent disconnect between conservative Christianity and gays and lesbians.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

Marin shares stories that are truly heart wrenching.\u00a0 Marin states that, \u201c\u2026research suggests that on average 7 to 15 percent of the GLBT community was sexually abused in their youth.\u201d[5]<\/a>\u00a0 This percentage was staggering and the stories were moving.\u00a0 Couple that with some of the absurdities that Marin heard or encountered with the church community and you have bridges being \u201cbombed\u201d not \u201cbuilt\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>There is a need for the church to begin bridge building early.\u00a0 Marin states that, \u201cResearch now reports that the average age of someone who first realizes a same-sex attraction is thirteen years old.\u00a0 It also shows that the average age of someone who declares their sexual orientation as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is fifteen years old!\u201d[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

Sexual abnormalities have become mainstream and the fodder for television sitcoms and movies.\u00a0 The open expression and strong emphasis on GLBT lifestyles acceptance is unprecedented.\u00a0 Marin states that, \u201cCurrent data depending on the source, estimate that gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders account for somewhere between 1 and 7 percent of the American population.\u00a0 An overwhelmingly larger percentage of the population \u2013 around 36 percent \u2013 identify themselves as traditionally conservative, Bible-believing Christians.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of the data and claims on the GLBT community seem to be excessive or exploited.\u00a0 Is there a need for bridge building?\u00a0 Definitely!\u00a0\u00a0 Can the church learn how to communicate and truly love our GLBT neighbors?\u00a0 A resounding yes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Andrew Marin, Love is an Orientation:\u00a0 Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community, <\/em>(Downers Grove, IL:\u00a0 IVP Books, 2009), 19.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Ibid., 9.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Ibid., 36.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid., 36.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Ibid., 42.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Ibid., 23.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Ibid., 50.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction The \u201clens\u201d that we look at life through, are \u201cprescribed\u201d by a myriad of practitioners:\u00a0 family dynamics, socio-economics, religious involvement\/affiliation, and a host of other catalytic influences.\u00a0 We embrace the fact that we cannot control to whom and where we are born.\u00a0 We express our DNA through skin, hair and eye color, detached\/attached ear […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[879,134],"class_list":["post-12611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bridge-building","tag-marin","cohort-lgp6"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12611"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12611\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}