Jesus and Same-Sex Couples — Part 1

"I'm going to say something controversial here but I think Jesus appreciates same-sex couples who are committed to one another in love."


A very dear friend of mine posted this on Twitter. I'd like to explore it.


"God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him." –1 John 4:16

Of course, the love that is spoken of here, is available to all, whether or not they are in committed relationships, but certainly it can and should be present in committed relationships. So clearly God remains in those who love.

When we read the rest of the epistle, we see that this love has two aspects. There is love of God, which draws us away from sin, and there is brotherly love. Both of them are made possible by God's love for us. This love extends beyond close personal relationships. In the epistle, it includes at least the entire community to whom John was writing. So we are not speaking of romantic love, of eros. We are speaking of love of the sort which God has for us — the love which led Jesus to become one of us and to die for us, agape. Throughout the epistle, John uses agape and words with it as their root where the English translations refer to love.

I see no reason that same-sex couples cannot have the love, the agape, to which we are all called. And surely Jesus appreciates that.


To be continued.