Drifting Left...

I was chatting with a church member recently, and as we discussed my first year-plus experience as Lead Pastor here at St. Paul's, he made the observation, "You seem to be drifting left in your rhetoric when going beyond the essentials," (meaning in my sermons, I assumed). An interesting discussion ensued, and frankly, I've been thinking about this for several days since.

"Drifting left" was his way of saying away from a "conservative" and more toward a "liberal" direction. While we were not directly discussing politics, obviously, this was at least one small elephant in the room. As I stated earlier, I continued to ponder our conversation, and here are a few thoughts that have emerged:

I am a United Methodist Elder, and as such, I am called to support the views of this denomination, generally. Of course, we are free to disagree on some things. I, for one, do not agree with our current disciplinary statement, "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings." I disagree, for many reasons, including that I believe it is a bad extrapolation of Bible verses that are not addressing covenantal, monogamous relationships, but a kind of sexual perversion that is also condemned among heterosexuals. I disagree because the Bible is not a book of science or medicine, and those fields--with great support from psychology--today say that our sexual orientation, like so many other things, is on a "spectrum," and "normal" may fall at different places on that spectrum. I also disagree with our exclusionary statement because we now know that there are no longer just those two "poles" of heterosexuality and homosexuality. This is why we now use the term LGBTQIA to at describe sexual orientation. We need to add an "S" for straight, too. However, this post is NOT predominantly about sexual orientation, so I digress.

As a United Methodist leader, I do support our position on a variety of social issues. Since its inception, for example, United Methodists have been in favor of universal healthcare. And as such, our Board of Church and Society lobbied on behalf of the Affordable Care Act, which, though FAR from perfect, was at least a move toward insuring more people and getting rid of the "pre-existing conditions" rule that often left people with chronic illnesses without coverage when they changed jobs, or lost a job and had to find their own healthcare coverage. I like our views on abortion. The "official position" of The United Methodist Church is that we oppose the use of abortion as a means of birth control or for gender selection. We do affirm a woman's right "to choose," in consultation with her family and physician, and we support abortion as an alternative when a woman is raped or is a victim of incest. We believe in working for peace, and reluctantly accept military action as a means to achieve this. Pastors are encouraged to help young people discern very carefully before choosing military service. United Methodists have historically been viewed as "pluralistic," meaning we are tolerant of different viewpoints theologically--there is no rigid doctrinal statement or confession to which we swear allegiance beyond the core beliefs of the Christian faith, which Mr. Wesley called "the essentials." Another term for this intellectual headroom is called "Big Tent." We are a "big tent" people.

Our resolutions on social issues like those listed above, as well as others such as gun safety, ministering with those in poverty, and the role of government, make us "drift left" in the minds of my conservative friends. Is it a fair indictment? Yes, if you compare how we apply our religious values to how Jerry Falwell, Jr. does! But not all of our positions on issues are "liberal," and most could be summarized as "moderate." In terms of social issues, our founder--meaning Jesus, not Wesley--certainly "drifted left," and was considered a downright liberal by the powers that be of his day.

And now, here is the BIG HOWEVER: As biblically sound Christian people, we preach personal responsibility and community engagement. We are called to be ethical, moral people by the teachings of Jesus as most especially seen in the Sermon on the Mount and in his famous parables. We are not "liberal" when it comes to understanding this responsibility, either. While we work for worldwide justice, Mr. Wesley believed that "each individual is endued with a sense of dignity and moral responsibility." We don't "drift left" here. When we are given opportunities to make a positive contribution to our society and the world, we are to do it! Self-centered choices are eschewed in favor of fairness and sharing with the wider community and the community of faith. However, each of us must relate to (as well as answer to) our God and Savior individually, and be responsible stewards of our time, talents, and treasures. Just because my pew neighbor can put a big check in the offering plate doesn't mean that I am absolved of giving. And while my abilities, skills, and expertise are mine to use to make a living and carve out a decent existence, they are not mine alone. God's wants some of that, too, for how else will the Realm of God unfold?

So, while our belief in the Gospel as instituted and preached by Jesus Christ often DOES cause us to "drift left" by loving our neighbor as ourselves, caring for the poor, and visiting the sick, the widows and the orphans, this same Gospel calls us into a personally accountable relationship with Christ, and to a life that reflects the grace and love of Christ. Politically, we are Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Independents, and on and on, depending upon which scriptures you are interpreting and which ministries to which we feel called.

Finally, I leave you with this thought: The dove can only fly when it beats both the left and right wings, synchronously. As United Methodists, we will not adequately reflect the "whole counsel of God," the Holy Spirit, and the Prince of Peace unless we coordinate that "big tent" stuff and keep both "wings" moving. Drifting too far "left" or "right" will take us off course. Shalom, Yinz.