We reject such readings in light of the person of Jesus Christ. We are convinced that God in Christ is just, compassionate, and intends peace for all of humanity and for creation. In the person of Christ, we see a man who allowed a woman to sit at his feet as a disciple and included women in his inner circle of followers. We see a man who touched lepers with a healing touch. We see a Jewish man who spoke with a Samaritan woman and otherwise showed amazing acceptance of Samaritans. He did not look down on the poor or the sick while the pious folks of his day despised Samaritans, lepers, tax collectors and other "sinners." They judged women inferior. They judged the sick as having done something evil to deserve their illness. Jesus did not. He looked on these "sinners" with compassion and sought to free them from the pharisaical chains of the pious.
We understand that some words in the Bible can be read in a certain way to justify persecution of Jews, blacks, women, and homosexuals. We also understand that most of those words can be read in more than one way, and while you choose to read them in a way that justifies persecution we choose to read them in ways that justify compassion and justice. We have friends and members in our churches who are faithful, committed Christians and who also happen to practice alternative lifestyles. They tell us they did not choose their sexual orientation, and there is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting what they tell us. Simple justice, in sum, required this change in our standards of ordination. Christ's example gives us the motivation to do so.
If all of this is a tragedy that impels us toward "total theological disaster," then we embrace (celebrate, actually) the tragedy and the disaster. But that isn't the case. We remain followers of Christ, committed to realizing the Kingdom, and certain that we have taken one very small step in his name and under the inspiration of the Spirit in that direction. Amen.
