EMAIL THIS PAGE
PRINT
RSS
A major event in my life came full circle last month. I had coffee with Jay Floyd, director of Forgiving the Franklins. This bawdy, subversive satire premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006. The premise of this homemade, low-budget film intrigued me. This religious sex comedy has just been released on DVD (rated R for “strong sexual content including a scene of abherrant intimacy, graphic nudity, frank dialogue, and some language”–you’ve been forewarned!) A devout Christian family has a car accident enroute to a church potluck. They are whisked away to a heavenly place where Jesus is chopping down a cross. He has grown tired of seeing the worst moment of his life paraded around people’s necks. Jesus greets the Franklin family and reaches into the back of their heads. He removes a bloody apple and sends them back to earth to continue their lives. The Franklins have been given a new lease on life, free of guilt and shame. Jesus removed their original sin.
 Their church community doesn’t know how to solve a problem like the Franklins. They take some desperate and deadly measures to restrain the Franklins new found freedoms. At the end of the film, while the audience applauded, I wept. Never had I seen Christians portrayed as so venomous. Yet, rather than rejecting Jay Floyd’s vision, I found myself convicted of our corporate sin. At times, the Christian community has propagated a deadly, soul draining religion. We have persecuted and even murdered people in the name of God. The Franklins offered a cracked mirror that reflects our worst tendencies. As Jay answered questions about the genesis of the film, he offered snippets of his autobiography. He had been raised in North Carolina (like me). His father had been asked to stop teaching Sunday School because he included too much humor. Jay’s homosexuality was condemned by church members. I felt the Spirit of God pressing down on me, urging me to speak. I stood up. And identified myself as a filmmaker and an evangelical Christian. A nervousness washed over the crowd. They were ready to be attacked. But instead, I apologized to Jay and the entire audience for any evil or judgment poured upon them in the name of God. The entire tenor of the room shifted. The anger dissipated. A spirit of reconciliation was unleashed. Jay was prepared for a fight. He wasn’t prepared for an apology. You can read the complete story in my new book, A Purple State of Mind. Since that transformative moment, I have had countless discussions with gay people who have chronicled their frustration, their pain, and their anger to me. They’ve poured out their souls and asked for prayer. They simply want to live in safety, comfort and freedom—just like all of us. Many long to find a church that will embrace them. It has been a beautiful rapprochement begun by Jay Floyd’s shocking satire. Forgiving the Franklins led to apologizing to the gay community. Two years after Sundance, Jay happened across my website for Purple State of Mind. In many ways, Purple State of Mind is an extended apology, a counterbalance to the more contentious versions of Christianity that have dominated headlines for the past decade. We were both eager to reconnect, to talk about where we’ve been. Over coffee, I finally had an opportunity to say, “Thank you, Jay” for creating such a rowdy, rude and life-changing film. |
Comments
Well done, Craig. What I notice here is that forgiveness and change occurs in the concrete--not the abstract. Reconciliation with larger groups begins through specific relationships and encounters (Jesus knew this best of all). Of course, only the Holy Spirit can woo the soul, but our efforts to love others are never wasted.
Amazing how a little love can open doors.
Hello Craig,
For sake of clarity, can you you explain your statement "Many long to find a church that will embrace them." How do you think the "evangelical" church would or should embrace homosexuality in general and homosexuals in particular.
Thank you
I too would like to hear your take on a Biblically-grounded "love the sinner, hate the sin" approach to evangelism. Yes, homosexuals and others are lost and act accordingly. But to paraphrase Paul, God overlooked past sins committed in ignorance but He is now calling all people to repent through Christ Jesus. How do you suggest we offer this ministry of repentance, in a loving and unflinching manner?
What if we changed the subject from homosexuals to "divorced people" or "drug addicts" or "non-English speakers"? Would we still have questions about a phrase like "Many long to find a church that will embrace them?"
Hi Craig,
My request for clarity was to determine whether or not you are advocating that evangelical Christians embrace homosexuality with the same ardent enthusiasm that many homosexuals do, or are you suggesting something other than that?
I put emphasis on the word embrace, because I don't believe that as Christians we are called or commanded to embrace sin. However, I wasn't sure whether or not that was being implied or not, thus my question.
I believe I would still have questions regardless of the sinful condition that someone wishes to embrace. Two of the three substitutions for the subject homosexual are sins, and being a "non-English" speaking person of course is not a sin.
Can you explain what you mean by embrace, and how the evangelical Church should address this particular subject, based on the word of truth?
Thank you.
Craig, I have heard the first part of this story several times before (and read it in your new book), and it never fails to move me. In fact, I credit the lesson I learned from you and the way you dealt with this wounded filmmaker for inspiring me and Bruce to write our most recent book. In the process I had to do a self-examination of my own attitudes towards those who I believed weren't living up to God's standards, as if they had to "clean up their act" before I could accept them.
That's when I realized that I was in effect playing God, and not very well at that. God doesn't ask anyone to clean up their act before coming to Him. If that were the case, none of us could stand (I think David said that in one of his psalms). It's in the intentional act of coming to Christ with arms wide open, pleading for mercy, asking for forgiveness, that the process of repentance and conversion begins, and then only because of God's mercy and grace, not because of anything we bring to the table.
Sadly, I was guilty of what so many of us in the church are guilty of. We send out the message to a lost and dying world that you need to get your life in order before coming to Jesus, and even then, we'll make sure you're clean before you darken the door of our church. No wonder the world views us as judgmental. The church is never called to judge, but to love. We need to apologize (as you so courageously did) for failing to live up to that God-given mandate. That's the message you are conveying with this story, now come full circle.
My prayer for all of us who call ourselves followers of Christ is that our witness and our love would bring people like Jay closer to that place where their arms and hearts--weary from living lives of rebellion to the loving Creator God--would be open to the life-changing truth of Jesus.
Hi Stan,
In your second paragraph, you made the following statement "It's in the intentional act of coming to Christ with arms wide open, pleading for mercy, asking for forgiveness, that the process of repentance and conversion begins, and then only because of God's mercy and grace, not because of anything we bring to the table." That is somewhat what I was trying to ascertain from Craig.
It appears (sounds) to me that you are intimating that a belief exists (perhaps it is only your personal experience) in the mind of a commenter, that a person must have some semblance of cleanliness, before he or she is good enough to be accepted by Christ. I don't think that any of the comments or requests for clarification about this article have suggested that at all.
If you read my blog called "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?," then I think you will see where I am coming from.
I see the church in North America turning into the Laodicean Church that Jesus describes in Revelation 3:14-22. So many of the mainstream denominations (virtually all of them) have "embraced" not only the sinner, but the sin. You kind of know my testimony (how old fashion a testimony of the power of God). I definitely wasn't clean when I came to Christ. I sure didn't expect or want the church to indulge me or my sins, by allowing me to habitually fire up bowls of Thai-stick in my Uncle Sam bong, toot coke, eat shrooms, down a dozen brews, carouse and performing indecent acts with women.
There is a difference between judging others, and having discernment and practicing discrimination. I have three daughters, and was very discerning and discriminatory when it came to whom they could associate with and who they dated. I definitely didn't want them associating with anyone like I used to be. Why was I discerning and discriminatory; because I love my daughters more than myself. There is more to that story.
I am passionate about Christ and His sacrifice of love. He died to redeem us from penalty of our sins (all of them), He didn't hang on a cross for us to languish in our sins, unrepentant, and unconcerned about the consequences.
Whew... okay.... I feel much better. How bout you?
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. In my comment I was simply expressing the perception that so many people have of the church, that we are judging the world (it's actually the topic of the first chapter in the latest book Bruce and I wrote). I agree wholeheartedly that there's a difference between embracing the sinner and the sin, and there is certainly a danger of churches or church denominations doing that (the Laodicean church is a great example). In that regard, we probably need to do a better of job of keeping our own house in order (Paul addresses this in Galatians) so that we won't come off as hypocritical as well as judgmental. Otherwise we're no different than those first century Pharisees that Jesus ticked Jesus off.
Along the lines of the Laodicean church, I'm reading a really good book right now called "Crazy Love" by Franics Chan, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley. He really goes to town on the whole "lukewarm" Christian thing. I highly recommend it.
I understand your premise, and I appreciate the spirit in which it is directed, however, I think you are misunderstanding my intent. I know I am an incredible sinner and I'm by no means attempting to remove a sliver from my brothers' eyes while I have a timber in my own. That said, has any prophet, priest, teacher, preacher, etc., ever really believed they had a pure and holy heart, mind, soul, or spirit, where they were above reproach? I'm confident you can show me such a man somewhere in the bible, but I think of men like Moses, who had to deal with his insecurity and Isaiah who was all to aware of his own sinful condition, but God uses imperfect human vessels to be prophets, priests, teacher, preachers, etc. If each of us waits until we believe we are holy enough, righteous enough, and adequately equipped to sound the alarm, we will find ourselves overtaken by the strong man. Luke 11:21-23
I am not qualifying myself to be anything more than a sinner saved by grace. Nonetheless, if we are not cognizant of the ills of the denominations of the faith that have already become partners in sin (and so many in the last 40 years), we are in "danger", of falling into the same snare.
I would love to read your books and Craig's books, and the many other books written by the many other authors that are part of this online community, but unfortunately I have a limited income and therefore have to be judicious about my expenditures. Please don't feel slighted if I don't immediately go out and buy the recommended books.
Thank you for your patients and humoring me.
I, too, would like clarity regarding this sentence: "Many long to find a church that will embrace them." Are you talking about people who recognize that the homosexual act is sin and are struggling against its temptations and desire resources and accountability and understanding and prayer for the battle? Or are you referring to people willingly and actively engaging in a lifestyle characterized by homosexual sin, who are looking for churches to not only accept it but help justify it and deny it as sin? (Feel free to replace homosexual with adulterous, deceitful, slanderous, drunken, etc. in the above sentences).
Even more to the point, are you talking about believers, non-believers, or seekers? Should our response to each be the same or different?
Guess we’re getting conversant, although this is obviously a much larger discussion (involving history, hermeneutics, exegesis, etc.) than this thread can encompass.
For a much more complete answer, see my new book, A Purple State of Mind.
For the broader cultural context, I follow the advice of St. Paul outlined I Cor 5:12, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church.”
I used “embrace” within a church setting in the same spirit of love that Jesus extended to tax collectors and lepers. Those who felt condemned by society were embraced by Jesus.
Hi Craig,
I checked out 1 Corinthians 5:12 and consulted with my friend Matthew Henry who states the following concerning 1 Corinthians 5.
Chapter 5
The apostle blames the Corinthians for connivance at an incestuous person; (1-8) and directs their behaviour towards those guilty of scandalous crimes. (9-13)
1Co 5:1-8 The apostle notices a flagrant abuse, winked at by the Corinthians. Party spirit, and a false notion of Christian liberty, seem to have saved the offender from censure. Grievous indeed is it that crimes should sometimes be committed by professors of the gospel, of which even heathens would be ashamed. Spiritual pride and false doctrines tend to bring in, and to spread such scandals. How dreadful the effects of sin! The devil reigns where Christ does not. And a man is in his kingdom, and under his power, when not in Christ. The bad example of a man of influence is very mischievous; it spreads far and wide. Corrupt principles and examples, if not corrected, would hurt the whole church. Believers must have new hearts, and lead new lives. Their common conversation and religious deeds must be holy. So far is the sacrifice of Christ our Passover for us, from rendering personal and public holiness unnecessary, that it furnishes powerful reasons and motives for it. Without holiness we can neither live by faith in him, nor join in his ordinances with comfort and profit.
1Co 5:9-13 Christians are to avoid familiar converse with all who disgrace the Christian name. Such are only fit companions for their brethren in sin, and to such company they should be left, whenever it is possible to do so. Alas, that there are many called Christians, whose conversation is more dangerous than that of heathens!
Concerning how Jesus loved all sinners, e.g., tax collectors, harlots, Pharisees, Sadducees, Samaritans, fishermen, doctors, soldiers, etc., He not only loved them, but he also exposed their sin to them, forgave their sin, and commanded them to sin no more, e.g., John 4 (Samaritan Women at the Well), John 8 (Adulterous Women)
Matthew Henry states the following concerning the divine appointment between Jesus and the Samaritan women at the well. "Testament. The graces of the Spirit, and his comforts, satisfy the thirsting soul, that knows its own nature and necessity. What Jesus spake figuratively, she took literally. Christ shows that the water of Jacob's well yielded a very short satisfaction. Of whatever waters of comfort we drink, we shall thirst again. But whoever partakes of the Spirit of grace, and the comforts of the gospel, shall never want that which will abundantly satisfy his soul. Carnal hearts look no higher than carnal ends. Give it me, saith she, not that I may have everlasting life, which Christ proposed, but that I come not hither to draw. The carnal mind is very ingenious in shifting off convictions, and keeping them from fastening. But how closely our Lord Jesus brings home the conviction to her conscience! He severely reproved her present state of life. The woman acknowledged Christ to be a prophet. The power of his word in searching the heart, and convincing the conscience of secret things, is a proof of Divine authority.
Matthew Henry states the following concerning the divine appointment between Jesus and the adulterous women in John 4. When Christ sent her away, it was with this caution, Go, and sin no more. Those who help to save the life of a criminal, should help to save the soul with the same caution. Those are truly happy, whom Christ does not condemn. Christ's favour to us in the forgiveness of past sins should prevail with us, Go then, and sin no more.
In light of Henry's commentary, it again begs for the question of "how the evangelical Church should address this particular subject, based on the word of truth?"
The commenter "just curious" aptly stated what I was not willing to state, as I did not want to submit to you a leading question. I do not wish to split hairs or be contentious, and considering both you and Stan are most likely my intellectual superiors and most definitely your educational pedigrees eclipse mine, I would be foolish to try to further debate or belabor my point.
Compromise is but the sacrifice of one right or good in the hope of retaining another -- too often ending in the loss of both. Tryon Edwards
Doc,
Keep it up. I like what my boy says who works with the GLBT community. He says that at no point is the GLBT community just gonna say, "Oh man, we were wrong, Christians had it right all along, we just need to change, shame on us." That's just not gonna happen. On the flip side, Christians are not gonna all just say one day, "Man, science really proved us wrong and people really can be born 'gay.' The GLBT had it right all along, boy were we wrong." That's not gonna happen either. So....where do we go from here?
I'm not here to advocate a position that we just accept everything nor am I here to say that we just condemn what we choose to condemn, rather, how do we live out the great commission with the GLBT?
Keep up the good work Craig, I'm going out to buy that book!