identity

This week I had a gift given to me. I have had the privilege of being involved in many discussions about the question of what is the basis of a person's sexual orientation- and it has opened my eyes to the incredible pervasiveness of this topic in many people's lives.

I have heard perspectives that have drawn on the dangers of 'gay therapy', the ambiguity of how the chromosomes of individuals do not always line up in comfortable black and white categories in determining who is male and who is female. Psychological, physiological, psycho-somatic, environmental, social, and theological resources have been used to try and clear the path for some kind of understanding in this minefield of human identity.

I want to say clearly, very clearly here that I respect the insights these various disciplines can and do offer. However, there are two things that I feel should be addressed.  The first is this: all the discussions that are surrounding these debates over one's sexual orientation portray the issue as one where sexuality is the whole of one's identity- and this is just not true. A person's identity is far more complex than one's genitalia or who a person is sleeping with.

One's thoughts and dreams are part of your identity.  What makes you laugh and cry, what words you want to speak and how you want to speak them also points to one's identity. There is a rich diversity within a unique human being that forms a much more robust picture of identity than only your sexuality.

I believe that if this were taken seriously then many of the debates that surround the topic of sexual orientation would take on a very different tone because it would be seen in a more appropriate context.

But with that said, I also believe that something else is missing:  in all the bandying about the latest scientific or therapeutic or social experiment that have things to say about sexual orientation and identity, why do we not hear anything about what God would say in His own words?
In one interview I heard a self-proclaimed Christian endorse what the LGBT community believes about sexual orientation and identity and then went on to say that God endorses this too.  But then he went on to say that nobody has a direct line to God. My question is this: if he didn't know what God was saying about the topic then how could he use him as a reference to justify his position?

I want to say this-  everybody has a direct line to God because He speaks through His Word-the Bible.

Now I know very well that everyone has to make their choice as to what their guide for life will be , and the Bible is not really in vogue any more.

However, I still believe it.....for better or for worse I'm putting my life into the hands of the God described in this book, and He has things to say about the identity issue.

In Genesis 1:27 He tells us that He "created man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

I know that saying this opens up a whole can of worms as we can look at examples of the physical DNA of babies that are 'formed by God' and yet have chromosomes that seem to be 'confused' in terms of 'male' and 'female'. Though I think there are biblical explanations for this too, that is not my emphasis here: what I am emphasizing is that we re-engage with the idea that we are made in God's image- that our identities, are fundamentally found in Him.

Maybe, just maybe, if we make room for the idea that humanity was God's idea in the first place then our attitude would change about the things he would like to tell us about our identities? 

People will make their own choices, and using the Bible is no guarantee that people will be unified in their interpretations, but seeing yourself as intimately connected with a living being who seems to care about me and who seems to desire to communicate with me about who I am seems like a fairly appealing alternative.

What do we have to lose?  Maybe we can get some better perspective on this whole thing if we allow God back to the table where we can at least hear what he has to say?

BT