Turmoil

This morning I took my turmoil to church wondering what I would find when I arrived. Would there be picketers outside as there were at the Mormon church, people upset about the Passing of Proposition 8?

I'm having issues with Prop 8. I'm not a registered California voter but it is impossible to not get involved in the issue considering it affects people around me, some of my classmates, my new friends. Proposition 8 (f0r those who do not know) bans gay marriage. A large portion of its funding came from the Mormon Church (thus the picketing outside the temple this morning).

To be completely honest Prop 8 upsets me. Laying aside the specifics of it, a group of people in our country are being denied a legal transaction because of their sexuality. I understand why the church would want this to pass. I understand that as Christians we have to fight for our principles, our morals and what we believe in. But at what cost? Will we as Christians ever be able to convince the picketers outside the temple this morning that we do indeed love them and care about them, no matter our voting decisions? Because the reality is that this group of people and many others sees Prop 8 as an infringement of civil rights, similar to racism and segregation. How can we convince them we care when they feel they are being judged because of who they are? I can't help but think that Prop 8 is pushing many people of different backgrounds and with different stories away from the church. The older I get and the more I see of this world the more I realize that what it needs most is more love and compassion and less judgement. I want to treat people as Jesus would treat them and, though I frequently fail, I want that to be my core. Loving people as Jesus would and does.

I realize this is an incendiary topic and I hope you readers understand my heart on this. Because it comes down to this: people in my life who I have come to see as my friends are feeling discriminated against and its upsetting.

When I did get to church there were no signs outside. During the sermon our Pastor explained that he thinks of our church as neither right wing or left wing but the whole bird which 1) made me smile and 2) really encouraged me. He spoke of all political ideologies coming together in the church. I don't know how we are supposed to deal with this issue. I don't have the answers. But I am struggling with how it is currently being treated. I pray that we can find a different, better way.