18th entry - A Church without Discrimination

When the early church (not referring to the building, but the congregation of believers, or "Body of Christ" as we know it) was established, believers faced persecution and discrimination because of their faith. They were a minority that was probably believed by many others to be a cult group, and were forced to practice their religion in a clandestine manner. However, God was with them in the form of His Holy Spirit, and their numbers multiplied greatly. It was their faith and love for God that kept them strong, and it was God's love for them that allowed them to grow.

Today, Christians can worship freely in many countries, but some are still facing oppression and persecution because of their faith. Nevertheless, God is still with us, working through brave missionaries who try to overcome the odds so that the gospel message can reach those who need it, and the Kingdom of God can be extended. Yet, there remains many Christians who fail to recognise or outright deny that they are also persecuting others. For instance, many Jews and Muslims in the world had suffered and still continue to suffer at the hands of political powers that abuse their God-annointed gifts instead of using them to reach out to their Jewish and Arab brethen (it must not be forgotten that Christianity originated from the Middle-East - Abraham and the patriarchs are recognised as common ancestors of the Jews, Arabs and Christians alike).

Homosexuals are also marginalised and discriminated against by many Christians today. Many mainstream Christians strongly condemn homosexuals instead of trying to understand their plight and suffering. Others shun homosexuals, distancing themselves from them as though they are the sinners and lepers of long ago. It is little wonder then that many homosexuals reject Chrisitianity as a hypocritical religion that claims to love all of mankind provided mankind be subjected to their restrictive interpretation of Holiness and God's Will. Have we forgotten that God's love is unconditional and "agape"? Have we forgotten that our salvation is by God's grace and not by works? Has God ever given us the authority to judge others? Are we greater than God?!!

All is not lost. There is a church in Singapore that is "gay-affirming", that welcomes people regardless of their backgrounds and sexual orientation. http://www.freecomchurch.org/. There are also individuals who recognise the struggles of homosexual people in a homophobic society. Rev Yap Kim Hao is one such enlightened person - may God bless his heart! (I will be re-producing his articles in 2 of my subsequent Blog entries)

If I can have one wish for Singapore in 2006, I wish that more church leaders and Singaporean believers will slowly accept homosexuals in their congregation. Let us not love others for who we want them to be, but for who they are.