Why You Should Care: LGBTQ Inclusion

by Caleb Schrock-Hurst – Horizon Guest Columnist

Surprise! I’m not going to give you my opinion on this issue. I could, I mean this is literally an opinion column, but I’m not going to. Instead, I’m just going to talk about this discussion as a whole.

Let’s get started.

My parents are both pastors. Co-pastors, actually, for most of their careers. Growing up as a pastor’s kid is, in many ways, similar to having a sibling close to you in age: It sucks most of the time and you don’t get as much attention as you think you deserve, but you really have no say in the matter. Eventually, you’ll realize your sibling is actually pretty cool, or in this case, that having pastors for parents isn’t the worst thing in the world.

Anyways, back to my parents. These titans of my life did a passable job raising me and my siblings, and they also happen to disagree fundamentally on one of the largest issues out there today: how the church should interact with the LGBTQ community.

One of them is adamantly opposed to full inclusion. One of them is adamantly opposed to writing off full inclusion. The children also fall on both ‘sides.’ Needless to say, we have frequent, heated discussions about this issue, and usually we end up with someone yelling one scripture or another and then someone else laughing.

We are a family divided. But we are still a family.

Even though we disagree, we are there for each other, pushing one another to refine our arguments and thought processes and theological understandings. Even though we fight, we have everything in common, from traditions to stories to our name.

We are a family, just as the church is meant to be a family.

I love my family, and I love my church. Though it is hard when my parents disagree, it would be much, much worse if one were to refuse to listen to the other, or, worst case scenario, to leave.

Leaving is giving up in the worst way. It is selfish, it is immature, and almost always, it leaves the children with major issues that don’t ever get fully fixed.

I am a child of the church, and right now, I am getting messed up. Children on both sides of this split, if it does happen, will not grow up with the full set of experiences they deserve. They will either miss the wild and crazy grace or the equally important steps to building a healthy, godly lifestyle.

Though I am weary of the church fighting, let the fights go on. Let them go on till the spirit makes herself clear, or somehow, someone convinces the other.

Let’s give our family a fighting chance to stay whole.

One last thought: The church is meant to be Jesus’s bride, and I, for one, hope to find a bride that has all of her body parts intact. At the very least, I hope she hasn’t forcibly removed any limbs during an argument with herself.

That would be weird.

Peace.

Caleb Schrock-Hurst is a Sophomore at Hesston College where he works as a Writing Assistant, Ministry Assistant, and Horizon contributor. He would like to study everything, but when forced to choose selected English, History, and Music. Outside of academics his main interests are tennis, Bernie Sanders’ political campaign, the global church, and Arsenal Football Club. Feel free to contact him at caleb.schrock-hurst@hesston.edu or find him on campus if you wish to exchange verbal or physical blows. (Editor’s note: Caleb Schrock-Hurst’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Horizon staff or Hesston College.) 

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