Calm Down! Just Calm DOWN!

What am I getting so riled up about, you ask? Al Mohler wrote the following in his blog in yesterday's entry about Brian McLaren, a leading influence in the Emerging Church movement:

McLaren was listed as one of 25 influential evangelicals in the February 7, 2005 edition of TIME magazine. In its profile, TIME referred to a conference last spring at which McLaren was addressed with a question related to gay marriage. "You know what," McLaren responded, "The thing that breaks my heart is that there's no way I can answer it without hurting someone on either side." TIME referred to this as "a kinder and gentler brand of religion." Others would be less charitable, for McLaren's "nonanswer" is itself an answer. This is a man who doesn't want to offend anyone on any side of any argument.

It simply amazes me that evangelicals, particularly my wonderful Reformed friends, are so up in arms about his answer. This is the second time I've read a Reformed writer that I respect hammer on McLaren for his statement. Douglas Wilson, whose Credenda Agenda issue on homosexuality a few months ago was so well-written, was unfortunately even harsher than Mohler on his blog recently:

He [McLaren] was asked about homosexual marriage, and his answer said it all. He said that what broke his heart was the fact that no matter what he said, he was going to hurt people on one side or the other. Of course hurting people on the other side is what you are supposed to do in a war. If you know what side you are on.

Um...when did this become a war against the gays? I thought we were in this to save souls. We're in a war in which we're supposed to hurt people? Somebody stop. I want to get off this train. I want to sign up with another country or something, 'cause if Wilson is right, somehow I wandered into the wrong camp. Jesus didn't say stuff like this.

Now, it is absolutely true that people are going to get hurt in these discussions. I'm not saying that we should neglect to do anything about the clear teaching of God's Word because it might hurt someone. But isn't it ironic that Christians are the ones acting the most hurt by McLaren's statement? How 'bout some sensitivity and humilty since we happen to be sinners too? How 'bout we stop acting as if this one sin is the really, really bad one? They're all really, really bad ones, including the ones you and I committed today. Jesus also died a really, really bad death to deal with it. So here's a suggestion. Put down the weapons and stop failing to care about whether or not you hurt someone. Point instead to the One who was hurt (i.e., whipped, beaten, spit on, mocked, and killed) for our sins.

If we evangelicals had enough discernment to realize just how poorly we've handled this issue, we'd see McLaren's statement as a good, foundational, and humble start to this discussion. It stinks that people are going to get hurt when we talk about this. No, it really does. I know. Truth is important; it is vital. But so is speaking it in love. While it is likely, from what I've read, that McLaren (whose works I will definitely be reading in the near future) will be a bit more theologically relaxed (if you will) than I am comfortable with, his attitude is a much needed balance to the vitriolic reactions of many Christians these days.

There's a lot of important stuff to say on this matter, and I do think what we Americans do with it will have wide-ranging cultural and religious implications. But we all need to start with some apologies, and then we can sit down over a cup of coffee with fellow sinners and explain to them Jesus' opinion on human sexuality.