A Discriminate Life

“What is indiscriminate compassion? Take a look at a rose. Is it possible for the rose to say, ‘I’ll offer my fragrance to good people and withhold it from bad people’? Or can you imagine a lamp that withholds its rays from a wicked person who seeks to walk in its light? It could do that only by ceasing to be a lamp. And observe how helplessly and indiscriminately a tree gives its shade to everyone, good and bad, young and old, high and low; to animals and humans and every living creature—even to the one who seeks to cut it down. This is the first quality of compassion—its indiscriminate character.” Abba’s Child, Brennan Manning.

I am ashamed to admit I have lived a life of discriminate character thus far.

Raised in fundamental and evangelical roots with a mindset towards losing favor for a sinful lifestyle, I became a wonderful judge and jury. If someone was living with their significant other, the tsk tsk began. If someone revealed their tendency toward alcohol, drug, or other addiction, my eyebrow raised. If someone attended a “lesser” church than my denomination, well, that person couldn’t possibly pour into my spiritual walk.

Some call this being judgmental. I prefer the term discriminate. For me to be discriminate is a far more calculated and educated form of judgment.

I started shedding this callous title several years ago when God, in His humorous wisdom, brought several people into my life that helped peel away this encrustation from my soul.

The first was a couple of women I work with. There was instant knitting in the Spirit when I met them. They loved the Lord, were the most grace-filled Christians I’d met in a long time – and they were domestic partners. I had no idea when I first met them. They were just like me, yet they had no callous discrimination as their vision.

The second was an Episcopal music minister in charge of the music in a community theater production…and his partner. This precious couple welcomed this evangelical bigot with open arms and won my heart.

The final chink in my discriminate armor came as a dear friend and writing mentor, herself a Spirit-filled Christian and minister’s wife. Her love and acceptance of all faiths – including pagans (gasp) - chaffed my well-worn religiosity. Her open curiosity and love of “them” was a stark contrast to my holy-tinted glasses.

I waffled. I swayed. I fussed a little.

And then the Lord brought a transgender individual into my life. As a young man, I emotionally adopted him as one of mine. Then came the news that “he” is now a “she” in the eyes of the law. This pushes new boundaries of my indiscriminate love and acceptance; but if you’ve kept up with my journey, many boundaries have been challenged and this was just one more. How could I not unconditionally love this “new” individual despite the gender switch?

God uses the most interesting things to teach us about how He views and loves us; but piece-by-piece my discrimination has chipped away to reveal new skin in the shape of my Redeemer’s heart.

Are these lifestyles I embrace as Biblical? No.

Do I know what the Word says about said-lifestyles? Yes.

Am I willing to look past the lifestyle to the soul living it? That was Jesus’ question to me.

My answer: God uses the things I have called foolish to confound the religious “wise”. I am embracing my new foolishness with a resounding YES.