Saturday, June 23, 2007


1 Corinthians 9: 22 - 23
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

I have been thinking about this verse a lot this week, maybe a little in regards to the poker, but generally about how we live our lives.

I love the fact that often Jesus’ reputation was called into account because of the company he kept. How often does that happen to us?

He was called a “drunkard and a glutton” has that ever happened to us?

I am not saying we should deliberately go out of our way to be provocative but if what we do is truly relational were will we go, who will we hang out with?

I went to a party with my family here on the island a while a go, drugs were being smoked, should I have taken everybody out and gone home? We didn’t, we stayed, is that foolish? For starters no one was offering my kids drugs, people don’t do that. These people were my friends, because of their lifestyle choices should I cease to be their friend?

I had another friend who was running an alpha course, they do a weekend away, he had two gay friends coming on that weekend. He let them have a room together, was that right? Personally I would have done the same.

We are very quick to grade sin, what’s acceptable and what’s not. What gives us the right to judge. I have the right to love but not to judge.

Although if you scratched below my surface you would find I hold some very traditional beliefs, I don’t agree with homosexuality or drug use. I just think it is more about how we express love and acceptance than judging and condemning.

I was re-reading What’s so amazing about grace, there is a lovely story in there about a gay rights march and how there were quite a few Christian protesters raining down judgment on these homosexuals, in the midst of the crowd a gay guy carried a placard it read “ Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so”

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Completely irrelevant comment- I blogged again, even though I had said I wasn't going to. What a failure :-) Let me know what you think of my suggestion for September...

Anonymous said...

Woohoo for quick replies!

Anonymous said...

Spot on Brian. The gospel is all about being like Jesus.

We grade sin to try and make ourselves feel better about ourselves; God isn't some cosmic GCSE or SATS examiner issuing grades in sinfulness.

Anonymous said...

how refreshing to hear ... good on you ... this is true NT living.

Kingdom Shifts said...

Brian,

I enjoy so much reading your blog. Overall I have been challenged to examine my own heart through your statements. Again, in light of what you shared, I am searching my heart. Yet, I don’t know if I could bring myself to permit a homosexual couple to stay in my home while I was away; or even a heterosexual couple who were engaging in sexual behavior in my home. (Assuming that they might do what couples do) I am really struggling with this: How does this make me less loving than a believer who does open their home to allow such activity to potentially take place.

I’m trying to be transparent in asking this question and not provocative or sarcastic. Have I missed the Lord on this? Is this really what Jesus would have done? I would appreciate your feedback and insights.

Thanks,

Brian Francis Hume

Anonymous said...

Brian

Great post and deffo helps on my poker query!

I guess it boils down to "loving first" and letting God do the judging. That is how I have always thought of it. Now, I'm not saying that is how I always live it but as a benchmark that is what I strive for.

Thanks for the insight! Hope the weekend was a good one.

J-Mac said...

I like to think I'm open minded but can relate to what B.F. Hume is saying.

We experience this in working with the young people from the town who are coming to church. Do we just continue to love them? Or does a point come when we have to tell them to stop the things that are wrecking their lives? Which is more loving?

I was watching a thing on tv yesterday where a mother had tried everything to get her son off heroin. Eventually she tried the tough love of detaching herself from him, throwing him out of the house and changing her locks and phone number. It worked. Now he is off drugs and they are re-united in a loving relationship. Is there a such thing as tough love?

I don't know. But the fact that uncomfortable questions are being asked mean that you're doing something good. It would be much easier to settle for a comfortable life where issues like these don't arise.