{"id":4247,"date":"2015-03-05T12:23:22","date_gmt":"2015-03-05T12:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=4247"},"modified":"2015-03-05T13:41:56","modified_gmt":"2015-03-05T13:41:56","slug":"labels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/labels\/","title":{"rendered":"Labels"},"content":{"rendered":"

Labels are interesting things. We don\u2019t necessarily like them for ourselves, but we would lost during the course of a day, if everything else didn\u2019t have them. Labels do primarily two things. One in large print, where they identify the object and secondly, in smaller print, it will likely tell you about their contents, that is, what has gone into producing what you see before you. A visit to the grocery story will quickly tell you that the very same big label can have multiple versions of ingredients in the smaller print. They may all look similar, but, each one is distinct. We make a mistake by assuming that the large print tells us everything.<\/p>\n

\"labelingpeople2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not really talking about bringing them<\/em> in here are you?! Because if you are, then I\u2019m out!\u201d That\u2019s part of little conversation that took place with Ron (not his real name) about eight years ago. The message that morning was focused on identifying the people who live in the margins of our society. In addition to the generational poor, the unwed mother, embattled addict (name your addiction), we also identified those who now find themselves categorized under the LGBT label.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to put large print labels on people; in fact it\u2019s way easier on us as it doesn\u2019t require time, discernment, courage, patience or love. Labels create distance. When their label changes then we can talk again. Unfortunately that\u2019s the way many \u201cChristians\u201d conduct themselves and form their arms length (longer really) opinions to the detriment of the advancement of God\u2019s Kingdom. As a result of the disconnectedness, the life of the message of God is distorted and diminished and almost gives validation to Adrian Thatcher\u2019s statement: \u201cStill worse problems arise when the text of Scripture is assumed to be the Word of God, even when it is clearly and offensively inconsistent with the divine Love revealed in Jesus Christ.\u201d (Loc. 1759-1760)<\/p>\n

What Thatcher is concerned about, in her book God, Sex and Gender: An Introduction,<\/em> is not primarily about what the Word of God says, but how it is promoted from those who claim to represent it. There are inconsistencies, in conduct and character, that have unfortunately caused hurt, anger and resentment toward followers of Jesus Christ and tragically has affected the way some view God Our Father and His Word. That is to our shame and something that we need to own and for which we need to seek forgiveness. For Thatcher, the damage that has been done over hundreds of years, on a sociological level, has changed her hermeneutic, putting culture at the centre and God on the periphery of understanding what the Bible is trying to communicate to all of us. In so doing we have created even more labels for how we view each other.<\/p>\n

My response to Ron, was simply this: \u201cWe\u2019re not bringing <\/em>anyone in here. The only reason that someone, even someone with a label you don\u2019t like, will choose<\/em> to be here, is because of the way in which you and I relate to them where they<\/em> are. Right now they<\/em> don\u2019t want to here either, but we can change that because God has created them for His purposes that we<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>have yet to discover. Won\u2019t it be exciting to share that experience.\u201d That response is really about refusing to be blinded by the large print labels we construct or others hide behind. Instead it involves a posture change that requires reading the small print on the back of the label. Taking time to find out what\u2019s really inside; to listen and understand just how all the experiential ingredients of someone\u2019s life has contributed to who they think they are and how they feel.<\/p>\n

Is that easy? Absolutely not.<\/p>\n

Does it accomplish our tightly constructed church growth plans? Likely not.<\/p>\n

\u201cBridge building is a sustainable friendship, a relationship, a bond, camaraderie, closeness and strong confidence. Truly knowing a gay or lesbian person is learning to discover their social and spiritual selves through mutual respect and trust. Knowing GLBT people is the same as understanding their life from their perspective through their filtration system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0– Andrew Marin, Love Is An Orientation<\/em> (Loc 2440-2442)<\/p>\n

\u00a0Then why do it, why care about those who wear different labels?<\/p>\n