Rambling Rumination #150308:

So, Jesus met a woman. Even asked for a drink from her. Yes. A woman. Even more scandalous was that she was a Samaritan and he was a Jew.

Not scandalous enough? She was living with a man who was not her husband. So scandalous and condemned by society that she had to go to the community watering hole at noon to draw water. At noon, when no one else would be around. This woman lived in shame and in fear of society's condemnation.

And Jesus sat down and talked with her and asked her for a drink of water.

When his disciples came back from the market with lunch, they didn't freak out because Christ was talking alone with a woman. They trusted him and his ministry. They held no fear or contempt with this woman.

You might be sitting there reading this and wondering what does this have to with you, what does this have to do with me. Bear with me and let me share how it impacts me.

Christ isn't terrified of me for being gay, for being who he designed me to be.

In today's message at church, we were reminded that love knows no boundaries, love knows no risks, love knows no sin. Jesus meets us where we are and engages with us, makes covenant with us. His grace is full of mystery.

May l be allowed to take this another step and attempt to tie it in with today's gay Christians and straight Christian allies? Here in North Dakota we have "ministries" who want to judge with fear, with hatred, with discrimination against our gay citizens and their families. There are gays and lesbians who live their lives in fear of public condemnation, condemnation driven by these "ministries."

We know that God is holy, we know that hatred and discrimination is not holy. Will you be the voice for those who live in the shadows, for those who draw their water at noon? Will there be a North Dakota ministry who will rise up and speak against this hatred and discrimination? Will there be a faith group which will make a louder support to pass SB2279 in this North Dakota Legislative Session, in contrast to those groups who are spreading fear and hatred?

  "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also." - 1 John 4:15-21 (NASB)