Amendment One. …Is the Holy Spirit dead?

Acts 10:44-48 | John 15:9-17

“If you have to make a law that hurts a number of people, just to prove your morals, or faith, then you have no true morals or faith to prove.”

Facebook, the social media website, allows you to share posts that are made by others, and a popular thing to pass around in this way a little images the combine either a drawing or a photo with a line of text—it can be something funny, touching, informational, or pointed (as in that quote I just shared).  Those words that I read to you popped up as a post by a Facebook friend a day (or less) after Amendment One passed in North Carolina—an amendment to the state’s constitution that henceforth defines marriage in NC as being between one man and one woman—this in a state where there were already laws banning gay marriage.  This amendment was just to make sure.

So, when I saw my friend’s post, I shared it.  They are indeed pretty strong words… maybe too strong.  So what I will say here is this, that there are really two issues that I’m looking at here: first, on account of that NC vote, I’m starting with the issue of legislation against a certain group of people—and though I may step on some toes, I have no qualms about condemning such legislation; second is the issue of gay marriage itself, which of course is a divisive issue, and though I also have a strong point-of-view on the issue, I endeavor to remain respectful of other points of view, and hope to do so this morning, even as I share with you some thoughts and questions that I have.

First, a couple more thoughts on Amendment One.  In response to that post that I share, one friend and colleague wrote, “Let’s expand this: legal hatred is the most insidious, and the hardest to overcome, because it codifies that hatred as a practice of law abiding citizenship.”  What I hear in that is this: that some folks take their strong dislike for those who are different, and turn that dislike into legislation that keeps “them” separate from “us”, and makes it legal to treat them as less-than-equal.

Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, in response to a press conference question about putting a Marriage Equality Referendum to a popular vote in NJ, answers in such a way [starting at about 1:15 into this video] that reframes the issue in terms of civil rights, in terms of being first or second class citizens in NJ, and in the US.  “Dear God,” he says, “we should not be putting civil rights issues to a popular vote, to be subject to the sentiments, the passions, of the day.  No minority should have their rights subject to the passions and sentiments of the majority.  This is a fundamental bedrock of what our nation stands for.”  He then adds, “I read the 14^th Amendment clearly: it talks about equal protection under the laws, and that was never something that should go out to a popular vote: whether blacks, women, or other minorities should have first class citizenship.  Thank God Jackie Robinson wasn’t a popular vote, whether he should join and be a professional baseball player.”  And as he implies, we could add “whether a woman should have the right to vote” or “whether a black person should be able to ride in the front of the bus” or “whether a black person and a white person should be able to marry.”

So, getting back to North Carolina, what Amendment One was really about was, indeed, using a popular vote to make absolutely sure that there cannot possibly be marriage equality without another popular vote (someday, maybe) to once again amend the state constitution.

So then, how do you convince the populous of a state to vote in favor of denying civil rights to a minority?  Why with the Bible of course!  Reverend Billy Graham took out a full-page ad in NC newspapers, which begins, “At 93, I never thought we would have to debate the definition of marriage.  The Bible is clear—God’s definition of marriage is between a man and a woman.”  Well then, case closed.  “The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it,” as the bumper sticker says.

In my sermon last week, I read you something that the Bible says.  It was from Deuteronomy—anyone remember it?  (I won’t repeat it for you, but it mentions the male anatomy.)  Last week’s reading from Acts features an Ethiopian eunuch, a person who, according to that graphic statement in Deuteronomy, would never be welcome in the Lord’s assembly, would never be considered an equal.  And yet, despite what the Bible says, despite Israelite tradition, the Holy Spirit sent the apostle Philip to ride in that fellow’s chariot, to proclaim the good news to him, and, having happened upon some water, to baptize him.  At the end of my sermon, I strongly alluded to the gay marriage issue, saying, “So then, isn’t it a bit odd that we, as Christians, are still so very good at building barriers, at naming who it is that is unclean, that don’t fully belong?  Isn’t it a little incongruous that we should exclude anyone by saying ‘according to scripture’ or ‘according to tradition’?  And then I added that I would say more about it this week.

So then, a little bit of background for this week’s reading from Acts: Peter had had a dream, a vision, and in this vision a massive sheet is being lowered, and it has all kinds of animals on it that are not kosher—that is, Jews can’t eat them.  But Peter hears a voice telling him to kill and eat, and he responds, “nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.”  The voice responds, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”  After three go-rounds, Peter wakes up, and is greeted by messengers inviting him to a Gentile’s house, another biblical no-no, like with the kosher food.  So Peter goes to the house of this fellow who himself had had a vision instructing him to invite Peter, and so Peter arrives at this full house, with many gathered, and he preaches a sermon to them.  Our reading this morning comes at the end of that sermon: “While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.”  And the Jews with Peter are astounded, and can only say, “geez, well I guess these folks are welcome now… let’s baptize them.”  The Bible said they were unclean, and not to be associated with, and yet Holy Spirit seems bent on full inclusion, on not having “outsiders”—what God has created clean, no one must call profane.

So, I feel like I can be respectful of those who understand the Bible as saying that homosexuality is outside of God’s plan, even though I disagree with their interpretation of the miniscule handful of passages that speak about same-gender sexual activity.  But here would be my question for Billy Graham: is the Holy Spirit, for all intents and purposes, dead?  that is, are you absolutely sure that the Spirit cannot possibly be at work right at this very moment to bring into full inclusion those whom our scripture and tradition may have once called profane?  so sure, that you are willing to push secular legislation that denies fellow Americans equality under the law?

So here is what I hear in our scripture readings this morning.  First, that it is the Holy Spirit who sets the terms of who is in and who, if anyone, is out—and that we therefore are presumptuous to name any child of God to be unclean, or worthy only of second-class citizenship.  And second, I hear Jesus give one, and only one, commandment this morning:  “love one another as I have loved you.”

Rachel Held Evans, a young author and well-read blogger, writes: “I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again… (though I’m starting to think that no one is listening):  My generation is tired of the culture wars.  We are tired of fighting, tired of vain efforts to advance the Kingdom through politics and power, tired of drawing lines in the sand, tired of being known for what we are against, not what we are for.  And when it comes to homosexuality, we no longer think in the black-and-white categories of the generations before ours.  We know too many wonderful people from the LGBT community to consider homosexuality a mere “issue.”  These are people, and they are our friends.  When they tell us that something hurts them, we listen.  And Amendment One hurts like hell.”

Here’s the thing:  Billy Graham is a Christian, as am I; but his full-page ads don’t speak for me.  And so, quite frankly, I feel called (and I know I’m not alone), to raise my voice and proclaim Jesus’ commandment to love, not as a foofy, sentimental feeling, but as an active, engaging ministry that reaches across every conceivable boundary.  And I feel called to proclaim the possibility—no, the likelihood—that the Holy Spirit is indeed active in the world, and is working toward drawing all people into full inclusion, into First Class citizenship in both the Kingdom and in every nation.

So can we be sure that the Spirit’s possible work on marriage equality isn’t just a case of wishful thinking?  Nope.  But let me take that quote I started with and turn it around:  “If you make a law that does nothing but bless a number of people out of a sense of morals or faith, then no one can argue with your morals, and you have proven your faith.”

Yeah, we could be wrong (and sometimes will be) about what the Spirit is up to.  But, as we constantly need to be reminded: it’s not all up to us.  If we’re wrong, we can count on one thing, we can bravely step forward in faith knowing this: that if we’re wrong, God will make it right.  Because God is good.  All the time.