Having just read Bishop Gibb’s statement on Marriage Equality dated March 18th, 2014, I feel compelled to share some reflections on this matter. The church of Jesus Christ is charged with the responsibility and the reality of being the pillar and support of the truth (1 Tim.3:15). The church of Jesus Christ is also charged with a great commission of going out and making disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that the Lord Jesus has commanded us (Mt. 28:19-20). When it comes to the affairs of the world, I whole-heartedly agree that we, as the hands and feet of Jesus in this world, are to be agents of justice and mercy and love. When it comes to the God-ordained institution of marriage we, as the body of Christ, need to affirm the teachings of Christ and the scriptures. Marriages outside of the church are, and should be, sacred commitments by two loving persons to a life of love, sacrifice, support and devotion to each other. But within Christianity there exists a uniquely higher calling in this commitment. The marriage covenant and relationship between a husband and wife is to reflect the love-bond that exists between Jesus and his bride, the church (Eph.5:22-33). This is why in the canons of the Episcopal Church, it is necessary that at least one of the partners be a baptized Christian. It is not the task of the church of Jesus Christ to sanction unions of commitment that are not Christ-centered. Certainly we may recognize such unions that are outside of our faith, and affirm the rights and value of persons in these unions; but, for the church, a part of our witness to the world is the testimony of a loving partnership that reflects the relationship between Jesus and His bride, the church. Jesus made it clear that union that we call “marriage” as should be supported within the church is the union between a man and a woman that “God has joined together.” (Mk. 10:6-12).
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 23:47:03 +0000
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