Yesterday (August 4), as widely expected, the 9th Circuit Federal Court in San Francisco dealt supporters of traditional marriage a major blow by declaring Proposition 8, the voter-approved amendment to the California state constitution that defines marriage within the state as between a man and a woman, was unconstitutional on the grounds that it discriminates against same-sex partners and violates equal accesss and due process rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.
While it's a devastating blow to the protection of marriage, to me it's not surprising. The 9th Circuit is based in San Francisco, the traditional heart of the gay-rights movement and a longtime liberal stronghold. The court and its judges have a long history of leaning heavily to the left in rendering its decisions, and even judges appointed by conservative presidents like George Bush Sr. surprise us by going to the other side in strategic decisions.
However, this is not the end of the matter; it's far from over. The Prop 8 supporters plan to ask for a stay of the decision at the 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals to keep the gay-marriage ban in place for now, and hope to ultimately bring it back to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled a few years back that the decision of marriage must be decided by the states rather than the federal government. It's like an out-of-control pendulum on a clock that swings violently from one side to the other without stopping, stressing and freaking out everyone who watches the clock itself.
No matter how a judge decides on the legal definition of marriage, I don't expect it to hold for very long before it's thrown back to the courts yet again. I'm only 40 years old, but I've observed that since my college days that politics is as double-minded and insane as the weak believer James, the brother of Jesus, writes about in his epistle (James 1). Federal programs, incentives and laws enacted and passed by one presidential administration or session of Congress are axed or eliminated by the next ones in power, then reinstated by the Presidents and congressmen after them, and back and forth. It almost makes one want to throw their hands up in defeat and stop standing up for God's truth because truth itself is always subject to the interpretation and revision of the political party currently in power, not to mention the judges sympathetic to their worldviews.
And as a conservative, I feel further alienated with each passing day by the leaders of the movement. I will have nothing with the Tea Party Movement because it feeds on anger, resentment and belligerence, as well as ravenously eating their own if there's even an iota of disagreement. Just as MoveOn.org, Hollywood and liberal activists shamelessly hit the gutter in attacking then-President George W. Bush, Tea Partiers are attacking President Obama in the same way, thinking fighting fire with more fire will win the day.
And sadly, I have even withdrew my support of the supposedly nonpartisan Presidential Prayer Team last month because its new leadership seems to think that turning up the heat on anti-conservative, anti-biblical political leaders while smugly bragging about being faithful to our Christian heritage will win back supporters they lost when Obama took office.
Now don't think for a second that I am advocating that we just roll over, just let the bad guys win every time and give up on doing good because the Rapture's gonna happen real soon and all this don't really matter anyway. Jesus told us to "occupy until He comes" through his Parable of the Talents in Luke 19. In the King James Version, the master tells his servants to "occupy until I come"; the English Standard Version renders it "Engage in business until I come", and in the NIV it reads "Put this money to work until I come back."
We're not just to hold our ground against an unbelieving world hostile to the Good News of Jesus Christ, nor circle the wagons and retreat to our church buildings. We are to actively go out and engage that world the same way the early church did in the New Testament. The apostle Paul engaged with the intellectuals of the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in Athens, sharing the Gospel in an academic and logical way that they could understand. And while there were no wholesale conversions as we would like to see, the Holy Spirit moved a handful of the people there to commit themselves to Christ, while a seed was planted in yet others.
It is my conviction that the American culture we live in today is no different than the Roman culture of Paul's day: hedonism, decadence, in moral decline and in political crisis. Christians were hounded, arrested and executed for the name of Christ, and many ultraconservative Christians think that may happen on our shores in the near future.
But there are also countless multitudes of people who have lived only for pleasure and gratification to the max, only to find it wanting and empty as they struggle with addiction, disease, broken families, depression and suicidal thoughts. They have sought "alternative religions" and Eastern spirituality and found the many rituals and deeds they had to do in order to have peace was a crushing burden, and what peace they did find wasn't lasting or worth the effort. They put up a front of cynicism, indifference and mean-spiritedness, but inside they are scared of having nothing to believe in and live for.
Those are the people Jesus loves, and for whom He died. They were the same people He met in His earthly ministry. And even when the government or prevailing culture tries hard to stamp out our message, we must realize that America is not unique in this spiritual battle. Anywhere the Gospel has been preached, there has been opposition and always will be. And there have always been people whom the Holy Spirit has moved to accept Christ as their Savior.
As a college student at Chapman University, I had a cynical, agnostic attitude and embraced the free-thinking bohemian lifestyle of my fellow art and communications students because it seemed so cool and grown-up. But I was actually rebelling against the disgusting legalism, coldness and hypocrisy of my evangelical upbringing. It was strongly grounded, patient Christian students and intellectual pastors at a local Lutheran church who demonstrated the Christian life in their everyday doings who convinced me that I was to follow Jesus, not his fallible people, and give my life back to him.
So if you guys were used by the Holy Spirit to bring me, a snarky college brat, back to the faith of my youth, who is to say the next seemingly hostile person you witness to may be your future brother or sister in Christ? Never tire in doing what God says is right, and it is right to bring this Good News to all nations.
