Statements are great.
We humans like statements, especially from people in power.
They are clear, concise, on point and as straightforward as possible.
They outline definitive positions.
They offer clarity and definition.
Yet as with many things I find, their greatest strength is also their greatest weakness.
This last week has seen the release of the Nashville statement by prominent evangelical American Christian leaders followed by a counter statement from the other side and countless parody statements on twitter.
For context:
I’m not here to debate the theology of this one. I will say that with such huge differences by people earnestly searching the scriptures, neither side can claim this is clear cut or be so arrogant as to suggest they definitely 100% cant be wrong.
I am going to suggest that in this instance statements do little to help anyone.
The Nashville statement is clear, concise, straightforward and outlines definitive positions with clarity and definition.
The counter statement exactly the same in its approach.
Yet the issue of human sexuality and gender identity is everything but clear, concise, straightforward and definitive. That makes both statements unhelpful.
As if these do anything but further polarise people on both sides. As if the Christian community was not already aware what John Piper thinks.
It is a complex issue involving the very definition (a definition I don’t believe we truly have) of what it means to be human, to be made in the image of God and also marred by sin. Made more difficult through our broken and incorrect gender stereotypes and many other labels that people have been pushing back against and throwing off.
I’m well aware that despite being cis gendered and heterosexual – my sexuality, my gender ideas, identity and expression of both is flawed and distorted by sin and God is doing a work in me on that. I would be reasonably confident to say the same is true for Piper, Chan, and everyone else who has signed any of these statements.
All people are trying to find worth, acceptance, meaning, belonging amidst things beautiful created by God and distorted through sin and brokenness. This is complex, and so the conversations must be complex and any “solution” if one even exists, will be complex.
Each person dealing with these issues will have their own story, their own web of relationships, broken and beautiful, that has both accentuated and hidden the image of God in them. That cannot be reduced to concise, straightforward statements.
Christians – whatever our theological position – must be willing to leap into the unique web of complexity for each individual we minister to. Trans or cis gendered, homo or hetero sexual. That is the only way we will be able to be Christ and show Christ to all who have written of the church as irrelevant to them.
There won’t be an app for that, or a nice packaged programme to guide you through it across 10 weeks and a weekend.