Loving those who God loves

Join me in a game of imagination. Let us, together, open our minds to a world of possibilities-a world that may not have familiar social norms or rules. Let us imagine a world guided by the teachings of Christ, not the familiar "moral values" of conservative America.

I do not suggest some "liberal agenda" guided by a sense of personal freedom, losing all sense of common morality. What I suggest is opening ourselves to a third way-a community guided by the spirit and teachings of Jesus.

Imagine a world where the Mennonite church does not fear gays. Imagine a community that supports loving, healthy, positive relationships, whether they are homosexual, or heterosexual. Research has shown that children raised by gay parents are not harmed physically or psychologically. These children do, however, show characteristics of being "open-minded," which-as a satire columnist-makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable.

At this point my imaginary friend asks, "But why should we look differently at this issue? Isn't homosexuality just wrong? I mean, the Bible says so, right?"

I respond with this quote from Lynn Lavner: "The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals. It's just that they need more supervision."

Let's look at a historical perspective. I'll step out on a limb and say that women haven't always been treated as equals. I thank God for women and men who have had the strength to break free from abusive relationships. The "institution of marriage" has inherent power differentials, creating a state ripe for physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Many women have completely tossed this demeaning life aside in favor a healthy, monogamous relationship with another woman.

It is my humble opinion that healthy, gay relationships are possible: and not only possible, but, in many cases, healthier than heterosexual relationships.

Let us, in the spirit of imagination, toss aside the precept of the "perfect" American family: husband, wife, boy, girl, two-car garage, 2200 sq. ft. house, dog in the well-manicured backyard. The only thing "perfect" about this situation is that it is "perfectly" destructive to our community.

In the end we ridicule those who aren't living this "American Dream" lifestyle. We feel sorry for them, they feel sorry for themselves, and everyone pushes them to the fringes.

So I ask this very serious question: When we talk about "non-perfect" families being "unhealthy" for children, is it because they truly are not a healthy structure . . . or because we reject them from the "dream," creating stigmas that cause lifelong psychological damage?

Obviously this is a complex question and cannot be answered one way or the other: the truth lies somewhere in the middle. But I would suggest that it is our RESPONSE to those who "break" our dearly beloved social norms that is at the root of the issue.

So let us imagine a world where God's love isn't only for the people following society's rules of perfection. Let's imagine that we are all God's children, made in the image of God, made to be in community with each other and God, and let us together break through the myth of morality that has tarnished our society and our churches.

Let us imagine a world where Mennonite, peace-loving, churches, are known for their outpouring of love and acceptance, while respectfully mourning our past acceptance of protective bigotry in the name of morality.