Will Their Be a UMC Schism over Homosexuality?

On the Upcoming General Conference of The United Methodist Church:  A good friend just sent me an article by Thomas Oden of Drew University Theological School about the upcoming General Conference of the United Methodist Church.  He strongly indicates his fear that should our denomination’s policies regarding homosexuality change there will be schism in our Church.  I find it amazing how many people think this one particular issue seldom mentioned in scripture is central to their faith.

Jesus never spoke one word about homosexuality, yet he clearly condemns divorce.  We welcome divorced people into our church family, ordain divorced folks and seemingly have little problem with it.  Why then are we so afraid of homosexuality.

Jesus never spoke one word about homosexuality, yet he clearly calls the wealthy to share of their abundance to care for the poor.  I hear no one in all church calling us to give what we have to the poor, only a call to support on overblown bureaucracy.

Jesus never spoke a word about homosexuality, but calls us to love our enemy.  Yet we are so quick to condemn homosexuality and so slow to call for peace.

I think the issue is this – remember how Jesus said we should take the log out of our own eye before we remove the speck in another’s eye.  The log in our own eye is the blindness to see beyond this one minor issue and unite behind the larger issues that could truly unite us.

Poverty is rising, the world is at war, and hurting people need to know the grace and love that can only come from a vital and growing friendship with God.  Let’s move beyond triviality and focus on the big picture.  Let’s unite around Christ’s call to serve the least, the last and the lost as if they were Christ himself.  Let’s put aside petty bickering and learn to truly love each other as God loves us.  When we get beneath it, I suspect all the rancor over homosexuality isn’t about morality as much as it is about grasping for power.  All such grasping leads to spiritual death -- let us listen for the spirit's voice and not the rages of competing parties in the church.