Listening in the noise

"This has become my first posture of theological inquiry: listening. For we all of us approach God and His Word with our baggage, that’s to be expected. But when our baggage rings louder than His Song, our faith diminishes into self-centeredness—weighted with unfiltered bias." Tim Willard

This week I attending the first reading of the "Non Discrimination" ordinance of the City of Boise, Idaho. I came as a father, a son, a husband, a pastor, a resident of the city of Boise. I came because I hunger for a world different than the one I live in. I came because to be silent for me slaps my understanding of God's love. I came because I hunger to live in a place of acceptance and  love.

For years I approached this issue with my baggage ringing loud. "God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" I boldly told my youth group years ago. The text shouts Sin.... it's sin. Yet it shouts sin at many things I gladly no longer call sin.

God brought into my life friends, made in the image of God. God brought into my life friends that are differently oriented in their sexuality. My baggage no longer rang as loud.

Listening. It is a hard thing to do. As I sit down this morning to reflect, I hear my TV with news in the back ground. I hear a pod cast playing on my computer. Listening.

I came to the meeting and listened. I Listened....I heard God's Song. I am thankful for the bold witness of the members of the Boise City Council that are working toward this legislation. I am thankful for those that spoke of their hunger for a different world, a different Bosie where all live with non-discrimination.

I am learning to listen to those who hear this issue differently. We may agaree to disagree but let's listen to each other and for God's Song.

May we all listen.