Comments on: Befriending our Gay Neighbours – Synchroblog

By: Some Posts For Bridging the Gap | Based on a True Story

Some Posts For Bridging the Gap | Based on a True Story — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:12:50 +0000

[...] Assumptions About Sexual Identity :: Moving Away From Drawing Lines to Starting Dialogue Befriending our Gay Neighbours Sexuality Issues Christianity and Homophobia Paradoxy Some Stats That are [...]

By: lon

lon — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:13:04 +0000

Great thoughts Ian! I think many in the church just aren't willing to accept what already 'is'… and not that they are a community of themselves, but a part of the current human story and the greater global community… we're often too busy trying be our own little idyllic community separate from all others…

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:18:33 +0000

Really interesting post. I think the GLBT community, to a certain extent, demonstrates the changes in the way community forms, now it forms around a shared activity or cause. I'd suggest that the gay community shows us that something intrinsic to humans is the desire to live for a cause greater than themsevles.

I don't know why we treat GLBT individuals any differently to the homeless, young professionals, families or retired persons. Whether God 'likes' it or not, this community now exists. Whilst it would be wrong to assimilate this community into 'the church', just as it is wrong to assimilate the young professional community or others*, this has become a group of people with a shared identity who can be transformed by Christ just as much as any other.

*by this I mean it is unwise to assume a particular community to be 'christian', for example the family is not 'christian' but one sees Christian families, I hope that makes sense? Perhaps one fault we need to address is that people assume the more established institutions and communities (Such as the family) to be 'christian' when this is not a scriptural idea.

By: Dream Awakener » Choice Blog Entries – Theology 2.0, Art and Gay Neighbors

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:17:53 +0000

[...] who share their thoughts on Christian community and the gay community. After sharing his thoughts, he links to the entire synchroblog (view right hand column), which includes contributors like [...]

By: LnddMiles

LnddMiles — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:15:39 +0000

Great post! I’ll subscribe right now wth my feedreader software!

By: Al

Al — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:29:38 +0000

I think one of the challenges in ‘bridging the gap’ is the ‘us’ and ‘them’ points of view that are assumed. Instead of seeing the people around us as fellow humans on the journey of life, we tend to pigeon hole people into groups like ‘white or First Nations, or black’, or ‘male or female’ or ‘rich or poor’ or ‘straight or gay’ or whatever. That tends to start the whole process of relating to each other from opposing camps. I admit, it isn’t easy looking beyond these categories, but we need to see things like several bloggers and commenters referred to: Gal 3:28 “In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal.” If we are to truly love people as God does (and we must not forget that He does!), we must treat them as equal recipients of His grace.
I also think we need to recognize that interpreting scripture isn’t as cut and dried as we might have been led to believe. Those ‘truths’ that we may have been taught may not be as biblically sound as we thought. Especially if they run counter to the character of God as we understand it from the breadth of scripture.

By: Lon

Lon — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:55:08 +0000

Hey Al, glad you managed to follow along! why not add some of your own thoughts on it all here, or on your own site! would love to read’em

By: Al

Al — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:47:58 +0000

Thanks for putting me on to the synchroblog. I have spent a fair amount of time today reading several of the posts.
All in all, very encouraging as I see people being generous with each other (for the most part) and wanting to dialogue and grow. And that’s a good thing.

By: Lon

Lon — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:44:39 +0000

Hey Melanie -totally… sometimes I think the whole loud-and-proud, I’m-not-ashamed attitude, whether christian or queer, comes from exactly that, some sense of shame deep below. We can think it’s our unyielding convictions turning people off, but sometimes it’s just our own obnoxiousness rooted in our own insecurities.

By: Energy Explained » Water Efficiency

Energy Explained » Water Efficiency — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:37:53 +0000

[...] Befriending our Gay Neighbours â?? Synchroblog | Solar Crash [...]

By: Melanie

Melanie — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:06:47 +0000

Loved your comment abour “over-identification”. I’ve often said the same thing… Being “in your face” and shoving it down people’s throat that you’re a Christian (Bible thumpers they say) has the same effect as being “in your face” to get a reaction gay… it plainly does the opposite of what the person is trying to achieve… it turns people OFF. Doesn’t help anyone’s cause!!

Love your mention about God being Sovereign… isn’t it easier for us to feel like it’s our job to take care of business ourselves instead of trusting an almighty God to be at work??

By: Efforts Conservation | Earth Suggestions

Efforts Conservation | Earth Suggestions — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:58:59 +0000

[...] Befriending our Gay Neighbours – Synchroblog | Solar Crash [...]