Law of the Land

Then he (Jesus) said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, 

and to God the things that are God's."

-Matthew 22: 21b

For further discussion (and expansion) of this concept see Romans 13: 1-7, where Paul calls worldly authorities "instituted by God."  Okay "biblical" people, I give you Jesus himself and his lawyer Paul both telling you that you should obey and honor the law of the land.  For you who feel that the Supreme Court has made a terrible mistake and is on the verge of brutally squelching your religious freedom, I ask you to consider these two teachers of our faith.

Do you think that the Roman Empire was friendly to them?

In fact, it put both of them to death.

Do you think that Caesar was a reasonable ruler, fair and just?  Do you think the Roman Empire was a wonderful place to live for people who refused to offer sacrifice to the Roman Pantheon and Caesar himself?  Do you think there was ever a thought given to religious freedom?

Do you think that being forced to make a cake for a gay wedding or even being pressured to perform a wedding ceremony is in any way analogous to being crucified or burned alive?

Do you think that even these minor collapses of religious freedom are likely to happen in a nation that hallows freedom of religion and separation of church and state in it's very first Constitutional Amendment, the top of the list of the Bill of Rights?

The fact of the matter is that the law of the land has changed, and for those who would try to follow a coherent Christian ethic, I mean if the "love your neighbor" thing wasn't enough to push you over to the rainbow connection, you have this now.  The laws of our society now recognize that same gender couples have the same rights and privileges as "traditional" couples when it comes to the civil arrangement called marriage.  This in no way re-defines marriage for churches like the Roman Catholic Church, which considers it a sacrament, or for any other denomination for which it may be a simple rite or ritual.  My own denomination did this re-defining a few months ago, and so the way is clear for same gender couples to be married in my church.  I could, and I probably would, if it was entirely up to me, but still it's not, because I have another yoke on my shoulders and that is pastoral care for my congregation, which means I need to consider the feelings of the people in my flock; are they going to be deeply offended by a same gender marriage in their church?  I don't know the answer to that question for every single person, so I have to do my best to sort it out.

My point is, I am beholden to a whole host of written and unwritten laws, a veritable web of accountability and relationships.  Following the law of the land is the least of my worries.  As it should be for any clergy.

As Paul says, "Do you wish to have no fear of the authority?  Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; for it is God's servant for your good."

Did I mention that the authorities in his day were the bloody Romans?  Did I mention that they put him to death as they did Jesus and the rest of the Apostles?

Do you think he was in denial of that impending reality?

For me, as a white, middle class, well-educated Presbyterian, the functions of the law as a guarantor of my safety and well being are very solid.  I have nothing to fear from the law unless I start driving like a moron or decide to cheat on my income taxes.  That is not true for everyone in our society, and one group for whom that has not historically been true are LGBT people, it is also not true for black, brown and Native American people.  I should do everything I can to remedy these situations, before I ever start to worry about whether or not the authority is going to turn on me.  The authority is me, and unlike Jesus or Paul, I have a voice and vote and say in what the authority does or does not do.

The realization that sort of clicked my "justice monitor" over from watching what sinners were suddenly "getting away with," to seeing LGBT people as an oppressed minority is the considerable pain and suffering of people in that community.  The fact that the majority of homeless teenagers in this country are homeless because they "came out" of the closet and got "kicked out" of their family.  The fact that people who have been living in committed relationship for 40 years could not share medical benefits or have family privileges at hospitals.  The fact that people have been told that something fundamental to their very being is an abomination by those who then turn and claim to represent a loving and beneficent Creator.

I guess I just started to define where the sin was a little differently.

For a while I had the law of the land, the law of my church, and the broad acceptance of my own orientation by society at large to hide behind.  I am thankful for those protections, because they allowed me to listen and understand what the Law and Spirit of God were saying to me.  Being safe allowed me to encounter a Jesus who does not condemn an adulterous woman and who challenged me to put down my stones. Christ did not condemn me for not being brave and getting out in front in the vanguard. I was allowed to stay very comfortably stay in the rear with the gear.

Now, I'm not persecuted by the change in the law, I am challenged to live into the new door to freedom that the law has opened for people who had been shut out.  I am glad to live in a time and a place where instead of tightening the bonds of the status quo, the law is loosing justice and equality.

I just hope in the future I will not be so stubborn and slow to see it happening.