A good man, a friend, a Christian posed this comment on a “Social Media” website, addressed to a group which shares common heritage, and to which I belong. Several of my commentaries reflect this format, and I think it offers a unique opportunity to consider Christian teachings. It is more informal than much of my commentary, but my responses are framed in the context of the seriousness and humor of those posting.
The Poster:
Ever since this happened on Sunday, I’ve been trying to think of where I could share it, then I remembered our Men’s Club.
My wife and I went to a Taqueria on Sunday for lunch. The waiter immediately set off my gay-dar. Even my wife, who is usually oblivious to such things, remarked that the waiter was “creepy and overly attentive”, making her uncomfortable.
First he set off my gay-dar, then he started touching my shoulder each time he passed by (EEEEEWWWWW!!!!). He touched me a total of three times before he received my subliminal messages. He also had projectile bad breath, which I discovered as he leaned in to read my menu with me as if he had never seen the menu item I had chosen (????). I was about ready to punch him out, but instead decided to refuse to even look at him. He managed to pick up on my behavior and backed off.
Here’s a TIP on TIPS: There is NOTHING that will eat away at a waiter’s tip faster than being gay and touching straight men.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it saves me money 😉 but I’d rather just enjoy the meal.
My Commentary:
Brother, you missed an opportunity to witness to the poor soul. My preferred technique is to motion the man closer to my face, and say gently, “Do you know about Jesus Christ?” I also do this when women seek to test me. The sin is the sexual act, whether fornication or sodomy. The sinner may be in a perfectly natural state, after all God made both the Homosexual and the Whore, they are both born of woman, and therefore we must conclude their sexual behavior is natural, but we know that such behavior is sinful, it offends God.
The effeminate male and the aggressive female seek satisfaction in sexual gratification. I can not see that this is different from the lust of an unmarried heterosexual male, or female for that matter. It certainly is not different from my adultery, my fornication, in the past, with consenting females. Sin is Sin, I can not judge which offense grieves my Lord more than any other. We are commanded to avoid adultery, we are commanded that marriage is purposed for procreation, and that any sex outside of marriage is a Sin.
I am a sinner, and my sins are no better or worse than those of a “gay man or woman” or a “whore,” or a fornicator of any gender. All sins offend God, turn us from His presence, and all temptations threaten our relationship with Christ. Unlike the profligates of the Old Testament, born with sin, struggling to obey a long list of laws, and social rules, copied word for word from the mouth of God through Prophets, we are born innocent and have the Grace of God, The Holy Ghost, with us always. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for all our sins, and he would rather have us seek the lost sheep, especially when they appear in front of us, than stay with those of the flock who follow him.
Christianity is not an intellectual pursuit; it is a life of service to God and our fellow-man. Saving souls in not the exclusive occupation of Priests, Preachers, Ministers, Parsons, Deacons, Elders, or Holy Men…It is what all followers are commanded to do, and it is accomplished by example, and by witness. I might add that I all too often turn from those who offend me, as others have turned away from me for my life’s choices. And all too often, those to whom I address the question asked above, “Do you know about Jesus Christ?” have turned away from me. I still love those who turn from the Word, and would pray that someone, no, that all Christians would ask them again, over and over, “Do you know about Jesus Christ?” And I pray that, and this rarely happens now, that the one asked will say, “No, tell me about him”
Since your story began in a taco stand, I’ll only say, I hope I have given you food for thought. + + +
Another Poster:
Brother, take it as a compliment, you good-looking devil. This would not have happened to me or most of us.
My Commentary:
1 Peter 4: 7-11, one of the scriptural contexts for my homily on the annoying “gay” waiter:
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever.” Amen, can we say it again, Amen!
The Poster:
I don’t know which comment is worse. I was trying to share that “it really creeps me out for a gay man to touch me” feeling. I’ve never discriminated against a gay person, except that gay dentist I didn’t return to see on the off-chance of “sharing fluids” via dentistry.
I did once attend a party with my wife to be, where the men were gay (wife’s friend was dating one of them, both wife and her friend were in denial over his gaydom, he died of aids a few years later). Several guys were touching my shoulder and rubbing my back and I left the party under my fiance’s withering judgment (“He’s not gay, we went to High School together and he’s dating Marsha”). I didn’t care if he was dating Farrah Faucet, he and all the other men at the party were gay, and I didn’t enjoy being touched by them. As for sin, one’s as bad as another, Bull, I agree. Let’s do that suspended lunch and you can teach me about witnessing under those circumstances.
My Commentary:
I just read your last comment, brother, and I must confess another sin, Vainglory, for I have always been handsome and appealing to women, and to those sad men who never had a chance…I lived one summer in “Norleans,” in the heart of the Vieux Carre, at 865 Esplanade, and was put upon by deviants day and night! Men pinched my butt as frequently as women, which was horrible for the men, as I was only attracted to women. But I have never been offended that the Lord made others think me beautiful, and that others were attracted to me. Thankfully, the Lord sent me an angel in the form of a Sister of Lesbos, bright and witty, rather like the character of Zelda of Dobie Gillis fame. It was an enlightening summer! In the interest of humility, I must add that not everyone was enamored of me, some found my vanity distasteful, and others thought me way too proud for the gifts I possessed!
We will do lunch soon…Have your people call my people…Ciao!
My Commentary:
Gosh, brother, I at times am so full of myself, what seems humorous to me may offend others. My last line above was disrespectful, even if you knew me well, but as a stranger, it was quite out-of-place, and I apologize if it offended. I really would enjoy meeting you for lunch and fellowship. I manage through-out the day to make time for our Lord and Savior and it would be a blessing to hear your thoughts on Him and our service in His name.
The Poster:
I don’t know what you thought might be offensive. I took no offense
Yet Another Poster:
There is a song just waiting to be written from this thread.
The Poster:
Sing it Friend! Life has those awkward moments, some more awkward than others. I don’t bother gay men, I only ask the same in return. And the waiter’s creepiness wasn’t just that he was gay, he creeped out my wife who is OBLIVIOUS to gay men.
My Commentary:
Brother: I always find myself offensive when I am a “smart ass,” (the “…do lunch soon…” comment) I just assume others do also.
The real question I would ask you is how can you love someone who “creeps” you out? Now, I can confess that I “could” intensely dislike any number of people…Yankees, Old White Good ‘Ole Boys, Crackers, Uppity Negros, Anyone who seriously thinks Lincoln was a Great President, Shepherds who lead their flocks astray, Any woman Bishop, Priest, Deacon or Preacher… Well the list is much longer. But I am commanded By Jesus to love my neighbor…as myself… and Graham, for me that’s a whole lotta’ lovin’ going on…
What I must do is realize that I am a really, really special Child of God, He so loved me that He sent His only Son to die for me! Wow, I told you I am special, and, as hard as it may be for me to believe, so is Every Other human on the face of this earth! Everyone, even Lincoln! No favorites, God loves them all as much as He loves me, and He has commanded me to love all of them as much as I love myself!
Now here is the real lesson of this commentary. Some phrase that command as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” but that not only misses the point, it fails to satisfy God. You must love your neighbor as you love yourself, and wouldn’t you do about anything to make yourself happy?
The fact is, we all are suffused with the Grace of God, by the spirit of God, who we call the Holy Ghost, and we are all special and unique and loved by our Creator, and so we all should love ourselves quite a bit, maybe not to the excess I love myself, but we should love ourselves and our neighbor with “a whole lotta’ lovin’ goin’ on.” And that is where our second “other poster” can hear the music. If we all just loved ourselves, because our Father loves us, and if our parents loved us and we them, and we really loved our children, really loved them, not just gave them toys, money and our “friendship,” why, wouldn’t that make all our lives better?
And if, when we meet that stranger, that illegal alien, that food stamp recipient, that Medicaid patient, that gay waiter, that criminal, that murderer, that sheik, that molester, or that Yankee who moved next door: If when we met those who are different, foreign, even disgusting to us, we saw them as a child of God, just like ourselves, then isn’t it natural and easy to ask them if they “know about Jesus Christ?”
This thread is a song of praise to God, we all have written it, we all live it, and thank God we don’t have to sing it!
My Final Commentary:
I’ll soon write more on this topic, but for now let me gently encourage all who read this commentary to consider how easy it is to ask “Do you know about Jesus Christ?” You just face someone odd, new, different, strange or offensive to you and ask the question. The key is not to defend but to share. That’s the point, share. And here’s what should be so easy for all of us Christians, you are not sharing your judgment or opinion about the human you are engaging, you are sharing Christ’s love! When you look into their face, do you not see the “image and likeness” of God? Are they not God’s creation? Look in their eyes, and see a person you know, a brother or sister, regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender, language, religion, another magnificent work of the Hand of God!
What a joy to live for Jesus Christ, what a joy to be a child of God the Father, Almighty! + + +