City On A Hill

This is a very fair question we have been asked on several occasions. So let me do my best to provide an honest answer. In a nutshell, it has to do with the love of Jesus. Let me explain.

We love gays, lesbians, and bisexuals at City on a Hill because Jesus does and He lives in us. However, we love them like Jesus loves in a radically counter-cultural way. Because we love differently, this can result in hostility from those we love.

Start to finish the bible condemns all forms of sexual expression outside of heterosexual marriage. Jesus wholeheartedly affirms this as recorded in Matthew 19:1-12. Why would God do this? Is He a repressed God who wishes for us to be denied sexual fulfillment? Actually, His disposition and intention are completely opposite. He has created all things for His greatness and our enjoyment (I Timothy 6:17) including sex. He achieves these purposes through Jesus.

So how would Jesus respond to those who are living in sexual relationships outside of those encouraged in the bible? How would Jesus love gays, lesbians and bisexuals? We have a clear answer through a poignant story in John 8:1-11. A woman is brought to Jesus having been caught sleeping with a man who isn’t her husband. The religious leaders have brought her to Jesus hoping that He will either execute her in accordance with the Law and fall into trouble with the Roman rulers or release her and risk retribution from the masses who are partial to the demands of the Law. Jesus then confronts the religious leaders for their hypocrisy, forgives the woman of her immorality (calling what she has done “sin”) and calls her to transformation. This is the love of Jesus towards all who are in sexual sin whether it is heterosexual, homosexual or both. He forgives those who are repentant over their sin and gives them freedom from their sin going forward.

Now, back to the question at hand. How do we love people and their families suffering from AIDS by marching with them and how do we love people celebrating gay and lesbian lifestyles by not marching with them?

By participating in the AIDS Walk, we attempt to reflect God’s compassion towards us in Jesus. Like the woman suffering from the consequences of her immorality (we understand that many people are afflicted with AIDS who haven’t been immoral sexually as defined by Scripture) in John 8, we communicate that forgiveness and freedom are available through Jesus’ perfect life, substitutionary death and resurrection. We also want to express to our city, our country and our world we need to move toward finding relief for those who are suffering from a horrible disease. In this setting, we stand alongside many who suffer to proclaim the forgiveness and freedom Jesus brings to all who seek Him.

By abstaining from the Gay Pride Parade, we are speaking through silence. Because the intent of the parade by title is to take pride in lifestyles that keep people from experiencing God’s glory and true joy, Jesus’ love is best expressed by our prayers for changed hearts that would be broken over sin and turned towards Him for forgiveness and transformation. Our presence would communicate approval, which would be most unloving. Our protest in person communicates condemnation, rather than the forgiveness Jesus brings, and is equally lacking in love.

We do wish for those who are gay, lesbian, and bisexual to understand that we are no better than you. We are like you in that we fall short of God’s perfection. We are finding pleasure in the forgiveness and freedom Jesus alone brings to those who respond to Him with repentance and trust. We would love for you to join us in spreading the cause of Jesus in our city.