Pro-family forces have been giving themselves high-fives since the 2008 elections when Proposition 8 in California and other pro-family referenda passed. Tens of millions of dollars were pumped into these campaigns. The victories were exhilarating for pro-family advocates who have fought long and hard to bring about change in public policy.
What difference will it make? Will the passage of Proposition 8 or the other pro-family initiatives cause even one homosexual to abandon that lifestyle? I doubt it.
Now don’t get me wrong. Advocacy for change in public policy has its place in the “culture wars.” I’m not suggesting we should just roll over and let the “other side” have their way in the legislatures and courts, whatever the issue may be. As Americans we have a right and a responsibility to work within our political and judicial systems for what we believe in. But I am suggesting that this type of advocacy shouldn’t be our first priority if we truly want to change the culture. That is not how the Christian faith works.
The growing popularity of pushing for change in the political/judicial arena has supplanted, for many Christians, the real work of advancing the cause of Christ. We may feel that we are fulfilling our calling in Christ by participating in marches, contacting our legislative representatives or giving our time, talent and treasure to advocacy organizations. It’s a cleaner, more glamorous way return our nation to its Christian roots. The problem is that if we rely on changing our country this way, we will certainly fail.
The real work of the Gospel isn’t so clean or glamorous. It’s often dirty, unrewarding and invisible to most people in this country. We have to get involved in the lives of others and make ourselves vulnerable to the disappointments and emotional risks of real relationships with people who aren’t like us. But more than advocacy, more than preaching and Christian media, it is through relationships that we change our world. It may not seem like much to our number-obsessed American minds, but God has made clear that each human life, each human heart, is precious to Him.
I use Proposition 8 merely as an example. The same principle applies to all the other issues in which Christians stake out a moral position, whether it be racial injustice, poverty, international oppression, human rights or abortion. The only way to truly bring about change in the lives of most people is to show them, one-on-one, the better love that comes through a real realtionship with Jesus Christ and His followers. You can’t do that through the courts or referenda. It can only happen one heart at a time. When you change each heart, you come just a little closer to changing the culture.
God’s grace to you,
Steve Jennings