THE HOMOSEXUAL SPIDERS

James C. Guy

A father watched his sweet and innocent daughter playing in the garden watching two spiders embraced. "Daddy, what are those two spiders doing?" she asked. "They're mating," her father replied. "What do you call the spider on the top, Daddy?" she asked. "That's a Daddy Longlegs," her father answered. "So, the other one is Mommy Longlegs?" the little girl asked. "No," her father replied. "Both of them are Daddy Longlegs." The little girl then stomped them flat and said, "It might be okay in California, Massachusetts, and New Mexico, but we're not allowing that kind of stuff in our yard."

Some people tend to think their sin is alright, and that others should accept them as they are. But, many of those same people are often quick to condemn others who have different views, beliefs, or sins. They may expect everyone else to see things just as they do, and may even use harsh and hateful tactics to promote their views and agendas.

While it is true that this describes the tactics of some who promote "the homosexual agenda," sadly, it may also apply to some Christians. While the above story demonstrates our disgust with homosexuality, what does it say to those who practice it who we should be trying to convert? Or, do we even bother trying to covert them? Do we think that homosexuality is so repulsive that there is no way they will ever repent? This spider story may be cute, but we need to note that the focus of the story does not seem to be on the sin, but on "stomping" the sinner. While that is just a story, I wonder how many times we as Christians present that kind of harsh attitude to those we should be converting in real life, and end up turning them further away from the truth.

Often, we emphasize our disgust with sin, especially this sin, but fail to emphasize our love for the sinner. When we do this, we are not being like Jesus. While Jesus did not condone sin, he did love the sinner. He came to save, not condemn (John 3:17). As repulsive as homosexuality may seem to us, it is just as repulsive to God as any one sin that we have committed. Remember, that we, like Paul, should thank God that we are no longer what we were because of the mercy of God (I Timothy 1:12-13). Notice I Corinthians 6:9-11 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God...Neither fornicators...nor homosexuals, nor sodomites..., And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

The thing that separates people in the sight of God is whether or not the sinner has been washed in the blood of the Lamb. That is the only thing that keeps any of us from being repulsive in the sight of God in the day of judgment. While we need to publically stand up for what is right, we must also be sure that we do so in such a way that we do not present the idea that we hate the sinner as well as the sin. Rather, let the love of Christ be seen in us because it is the love of Christ that saves us. Next time you are tempted to treat a person involved in any sin repulsively, first ask yourself, "What am I doing to lead this person to Jesus?"