God is Love, but what kind?

The church is battling the social issue of sex outside of marriage by emphasizing homosexuality, out of wedlock and same-sex relationships. Fierce references in scriptural interpretation are splitting the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Anglicans and the Roman Catholics into those for and against homosexual and heterosexual sex outside of marriage.

In my view, this issue, on its face, is not only salacious but unnecessarily divisive. It is a distraction. The real focus of Christian living should be on love, not sex. Biblical language clearly supports monogamous sex within marriage which emphasizes family and reproduction.  The problem is how we define “love”. The tangling issue to the churches and our denominations is the notion that sex IS “love”.  Is it? If God is love, is sex the love that God is?

I say “no”. That is mixing two kinds of love, eros and agape, in Greek terms.  On the level of agape, there is no divisive issue. We are commanded 1.) to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and 2.) to love our neighbor as ourselves. That’s it. According to Jesus, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” The focus on sex is misplaced. It is a diversion. Let’s just drop it. Those of us who struggle with sin, and that’s all of us, will continue our struggles. That includes our sexual struggles. But Christ’s love can progress unabated.

So, how to proceed? I believe we turn away from eros to agape, starting agape love labs to extend Christ’s love and care fully. If we do so, we may just become a nation of sheep, but in the good way that Jesus foresaw in Matthew 25: 31 – 46. Here, Jesus tells the story of the sheep and goats to illustrate the concept of final judgement. The sheep will inherit eternal life, the goats are destined for eternal punishment.  What separates these two groups is their expression of agape love to those who are in need of it.  Each agape expression is to a different group.  Did they welcome strangers, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those sick and in prison? If they did, they did this to Our Lord, and they get their eternal reward.

The directions are clear. The shepherd is leading us. Following Him is about loving God and loving each other. The benefit is eternal life.