The (dysfunctional) family of God

by Erin Guinan

sophomore contributor

am probably the poster child for abiding by the religion, morals and guidelines that PLNU claims. I have never been to a party or a club; I don’t drink or smoke. I am a virgin who went to a Christian high school. I have only earned one B in my entire life (thank you, nursing school). I attend church on Sundays and a Bible study on Wednesdays. I read my Bible every day and I pray about almost everything.

But is rule-following the standard by which we measure a person just because we are Christians? No. Despite my excellent track re­cord with rules, Jesus died for me, too. What if you are a super-Christian who was called to the faith by a Messianic vision, spent the rest of your life preaching and planting churches and are even imprisoned because you refuse to denounce the gospel? Jesus died for you, too. What if you drink yourself into a stupor ev­ery night? Jesus died for you, too. What if you sleep around? Jesus died for you, too. What if you are gay? Jesus died for you, too.

What a beautiful, beautiful gospel. God always, always meets us where we are. Every scripture that I have ever read describes how Jesus chases after us, despite the fact that we constantly screw up.

If we look into the Gospels, we find Christ associating with the worst sorts of people: prostitutes, tax collectors, dirty fishermen and shepherds. And why is that?

“It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12).

So instead of not-so-politely inviting all rule-breakers to leave this university, why don’t we come together as a group of broken and sinful people and demonstrate the love of a perfect and eternal Savior?

Let students and professors alike stir up a commotion, because the fact is we do have LGBTQ students at this school and there is more than enough room in the kingdom for them. Just because they are not represented in the form of an official campus club like some may have wanted, it doesn’t mean we cannot create space for all of the homosexu­als, drunkards, adulterers, gluttons (darn that Caf for being all-you-can-eat), liars, potty-mouths, thieves and all of the other sinners to love and be loved.

Let’s recognize that we all sin differently and have a lot of growing to do. As we enter into conversations about what is “Loma appro­priate,” or even what is appropriate as a Chris­tian body, let’s give each other respect, as we are valuable people made in the image of God. Furthermore, we are one body. Family. Broth­ers and Sisters. Let’s start acting like it.