GRANTED
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
When I feel afraid, think I've lost my way
Still You're there right beside me
Nothing will I fear as long as you are near
Please be near me to the end
If you sang that verse, it’s a testament to the impact of Amy Grant not only to Christian contemporary music but to the evangelical faith as a whole.
As any Christian, she’s not perfect and have never claimed to be so it is unfair to point a finger when she shows how her feet are as clayish as ours. But it is a bit jolting nevertheless to read of her hosting, not attending, a same-sex wedding for family.
“Upon learning that her niece declared her sexuality, Grant openly said her reaction was: ‘What a gift to our whole family to just widen the experience of our whole family.’
‘Honestly, from a faith perspective, I do always say, 'Jesus, you just narrowed it down to two things: love God and love each other,' Grant said. ‘I mean, hey — that's pretty simple.’
In 2013, Grant did her first interview for PrideSource.com, an LGBT news website, where she shared her views on faith and LGBT issues.
‘I know that the religious community has not been very welcoming, but I just want to stress that the journey of faith brings us into community, but it's really about one relationship. The journey of faith is just being willing and open to have a relationship with God. And everybody is welcome. Everybody,’ Grant said.”
It’s one thing to hear of a friend coming out, but another when it’s family. It takes on a whole new dimension. Now I do not know if the niece is a professing Christian but we all know Amy is. So to read how she sees homosexuality as a “gift…to widen the experience” is disconcerting. Yes, it will definitely do that but to what direction? What is being forgotten here is that she also belongs to the family of God who clearly has made His feelings about homosexuality very clear.
A friend reminded me how love covers a multitude of sins. I said how God is love, so love must be defined according to His character. And one of His traits is that He doesn’t change His mind about sin.
Yes, Amy is right to say that we are to love each other and that everyone is welcome to have a relationship with God but it must be on His terms. We may come to Him as we are, the way we did when we became born again (envious, backbiter, jealous, gossip, materialistic, etc.) but we are not expected to stay that way. The rotten fruit of our heart must give way to the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was accused by the religious of being friends with sinners because He was eating with them but He had a kingdom agenda mindset. He was there not as a mere guest with a sentimental “love is love” message. He went to seek and save the lost. He did not sidestep the issue of their need---as well as everyone’s need (gay or straight)---to repent.
I asked several of my friends which included pastors if they would accept an invitation to a same-sex wedding of a FAMILY member, not just mere friends or colleagues. I received varied answers. One stood out.
He asked if we can attend a wedding of divorced Christians? Mark 10:11-12 clearly state that it is adulterous.
Again, it is easy when the people involved are not professing the same faith as ours, but not when they are and are family, as well. Or in the more realistic context as we don’t have divorce in our country, can we eat with a professing brother separated from his professing wife, and his professing partner---same or opposite?
One friend said it’s hard to answer the question unless you find yourself in that very situation, and that describes me. The closest is having a friend who is in a same-sex marriage. There wasn’t an opportunity to accept an invite as she married abroad, and we’re still friends. I am also at the receiving end of love and heartache stories of my gay male friends, the way my hetero friends would tell me theirs. And my reaction would always be to make sure they (homo or hetero, single or separated), are not forgetting God. I don’t always succeed as one separated woman who was in a relationship with a man said I was a kunsintidor. I still lack practice on how to handle it like Jesus but I take comfort in Amy’s lyrics that are as true as the Word itself as they are God’s Word:
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
I will trust the Lord to light the path I need to take when the time comes my wisdom is tested with someone my heart truly cares about. However it ends, may that person say I have my Father’s eyes.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
When I feel afraid, think I've lost my way
Still You're there right beside me
Nothing will I fear as long as you are near
Please be near me to the end
If you sang that verse, it’s a testament to the impact of Amy Grant not only to Christian contemporary music but to the evangelical faith as a whole.
As any Christian, she’s not perfect and have never claimed to be so it is unfair to point a finger when she shows how her feet are as clayish as ours. But it is a bit jolting nevertheless to read of her hosting, not attending, a same-sex wedding for family.
“Upon learning that her niece declared her sexuality, Grant openly said her reaction was: ‘What a gift to our whole family to just widen the experience of our whole family.’
‘Honestly, from a faith perspective, I do always say, 'Jesus, you just narrowed it down to two things: love God and love each other,' Grant said. ‘I mean, hey — that's pretty simple.’
In 2013, Grant did her first interview for PrideSource.com, an LGBT news website, where she shared her views on faith and LGBT issues.
‘I know that the religious community has not been very welcoming, but I just want to stress that the journey of faith brings us into community, but it's really about one relationship. The journey of faith is just being willing and open to have a relationship with God. And everybody is welcome. Everybody,’ Grant said.”
It’s one thing to hear of a friend coming out, but another when it’s family. It takes on a whole new dimension. Now I do not know if the niece is a professing Christian but we all know Amy is. So to read how she sees homosexuality as a “gift…to widen the experience” is disconcerting. Yes, it will definitely do that but to what direction? What is being forgotten here is that she also belongs to the family of God who clearly has made His feelings about homosexuality very clear.
A friend reminded me how love covers a multitude of sins. I said how God is love, so love must be defined according to His character. And one of His traits is that He doesn’t change His mind about sin.
Yes, Amy is right to say that we are to love each other and that everyone is welcome to have a relationship with God but it must be on His terms. We may come to Him as we are, the way we did when we became born again (envious, backbiter, jealous, gossip, materialistic, etc.) but we are not expected to stay that way. The rotten fruit of our heart must give way to the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was accused by the religious of being friends with sinners because He was eating with them but He had a kingdom agenda mindset. He was there not as a mere guest with a sentimental “love is love” message. He went to seek and save the lost. He did not sidestep the issue of their need---as well as everyone’s need (gay or straight)---to repent.
I asked several of my friends which included pastors if they would accept an invitation to a same-sex wedding of a FAMILY member, not just mere friends or colleagues. I received varied answers. One stood out.
He asked if we can attend a wedding of divorced Christians? Mark 10:11-12 clearly state that it is adulterous.
Again, it is easy when the people involved are not professing the same faith as ours, but not when they are and are family, as well. Or in the more realistic context as we don’t have divorce in our country, can we eat with a professing brother separated from his professing wife, and his professing partner---same or opposite?
One friend said it’s hard to answer the question unless you find yourself in that very situation, and that describes me. The closest is having a friend who is in a same-sex marriage. There wasn’t an opportunity to accept an invite as she married abroad, and we’re still friends. I am also at the receiving end of love and heartache stories of my gay male friends, the way my hetero friends would tell me theirs. And my reaction would always be to make sure they (homo or hetero, single or separated), are not forgetting God. I don’t always succeed as one separated woman who was in a relationship with a man said I was a kunsintidor. I still lack practice on how to handle it like Jesus but I take comfort in Amy’s lyrics that are as true as the Word itself as they are God’s Word:
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
I will trust the Lord to light the path I need to take when the time comes my wisdom is tested with someone my heart truly cares about. However it ends, may that person say I have my Father’s eyes.