Yesterday we concluded that “fear” is behind many of our failures of faith. We mentioned some personal fears, like losing one’s job, and larger fears like government intrusion, and these are only the tip of the iceberg. How are we expected to praise the name of Jesus before a world suffering racial violence, coping with terrorist attacks and increasing confusion over sexuality and gender? The Bible does provide relevant direction for all the issues we face, yet it seems the world is less and less interested. How do we make them curious about all God and his word have to offer?

I do not claim to have all the answers, but I have some thoughts that I hope help and that will lead to further discussion.

First, we need to de-politicize sin. During his time in office, President Obama signed into law the federal recognition of same-sex marriage. This has been and still is a political hot-button issue. The media at large typifies Christians as hateful towards the gay community, even though such characterization is largely unfounded. The more we talk and preach about the issue, it seems, the more damage we do.

How do we fix it? By getting back to the basics. You have probably heard the expression “all sin is sin”, and this basic truth can help us form an attitude about the more politically sensitive sins. The church teaches that stealing is wrong, yet we never hear an outcry from the kleptomaniac community about how unfair and unjust this notion is. I jest, but only a little. We need to treat those who have embraced homosexuality or are gender-confused the same way we do those who feel a compulsion to shop lift or who are enslaved by pornography. We diffuse the issue by recognizing that all, ourselves included, are sinners, even if we all struggle with different sins. Jesus treated everyone the same -- prostitute, tax collector, fisherman or Roman soldier – all were lovingly corrected in how they lived life. This approach allows us to care for and love the individual rather than be repelled by their particular problem, and that goes a long way.

Second, reveal the deception they are under and offer the truth. For example, there are some things in life that are not up to us, that no amount of thought or belief can change. An ant cannot be a grasshopper. Even should the ant have grasshopper legs surgically implanted, it would still be an ant (albeit a very strange looking one). If the ant could have chosen to be born a grasshopper, it likely would have but no choice was offered and no choice can change its fate. To someone struggling with their gender, we can affirm that both male and female have admirable traits. It is never wrong to admire the good in another being or to try and identify with it, but to try and become something we are not only leads to heartbreak or self-deception. I am reminded of the movie poster for the upcoming Lego movie that reads, “Always be yourself; unless you can be Batman.”

Third, don’t compromise. We can love people for who they are and offer the wisdom of the Bible in learning how to be a godly person but the one thing we must never do is water down truth or accept sinful behavior. Jesus spoke truth into people’s lives without condemning them. To the woman caught in adultery, he said “go and sin no more.” To the woman at the well he revealed, “You are right when you say you have no husband, for you left your previous husbands and the man you are with now is not your husband. What you said is true.” We are not held responsible for people’s reactions, but we are accountable to how well we love them.

Hopefully these ideas will help you make God and his truth relevant to the world. Discuss them and let me know your thoughts and ideas as well. When we stop with the knee-jerk reactions and respond to people in truth and love we can lead the broken to Jesus.