Sexual brokenness is everywhere.
It lingers in the darkness of every city and town, it rages through our homes and our schools and our churches. It reaches to grab hold of the youngest and most innocent, leaving a trail of slaves writhing in the deceit of all the promises and all the false allure.
People say that sex is fun. Yep. It is.
People say that sex should be exciting. That it should be whatever is best for you.
And that is where Jesus stands bold in the gap of “expression” with his arms stretched out, bleeding. Where we are uncertain and curious and fallen he is steadfast.
People say that Christians don’t even know. That we have a limited and old-fashioned and hypocritical view of sex. After all, the scandals…you know? Those priests and pastors with dark secrets and layers of sin even God himself cannot look past? Plus..we miss out on so. much. fun.
But wait…
Didn’t God even just say, be fruitful and multiply?
Didn’t God even create this world for men and women. Is he, after all, so surprised by our longings? Sexuality was not an accidental byproduct of creation. God is intentional, and only ever so.
Lean in. And listen close…God does not create sexual brokenness: we invite it when we discard God.
If I. If You. If We…only listened to the One who is Eternal there would be no brokenness in this place. The arena of sexual brokenness would be nonexistent.
There would be no rape. Abortion would all but disappear. There would be no sexually transmitted diseases. No AIDS. No incest. Fatherless and Motherless and Children would nearly disappear from the planet. There would be no pornography. No abuse within an industry labeled as “Adult Entertainment”. No cheating or affairs. Less divorce. Better marriages. Stronger families.
But all of this doesn’t really matter, does it? Because we kind of want those things, don’t we?
We lament the existence of child pornography but we secretly long for the touch of a strangers hands on our skin. We cry out against brothels but we consume image after image of harmless fun even after story after story is told of abuse and coercion and exploitation.
And we run to express ourselves and cover our skin with inked images of seductive women.
Really…we want most but not necessarily all of the darkness of sexual brokenness.
And everywhere men are taken in by the allurement of it all and leave behind a hurricane of disaster in pursuit of their own fulfillment.
And then we grieve the loss of innocence.
And then we grieve the shame inflicted upon us by unwanted actions.
Sexual brokenness is darkest this day of all others. But all days sexual brokenness is everywhere.
This day of sport and hard work and dedication and gatherings of friends and food and hilarious commercials, its all so marred by the behind-the-scenes. But it doesn’t have to be.
You want to change the world? Change yourself.
You want to change the statistics? Change what you absorb.
The only person you control is yourself. And if you can’t, you are part of the problem. If I can’t, I’m part of the problem too.
We cannot simultaneously grieve the existence of darkness while secretly beckoning it near. Because the dark will ALWAYS win if Christians do not stand against it.
We led the fight to legally end slavery. We cross oceans to further The Gospel. We have spoken the truth against all odds and stood in the gap of culture for centuries. Across time, and from the beginning, God has repeatedly intervened and brought about justice for the least. And we are commanded to do the same.
I know that feeling of belittling. I know that feeling of shame and fear so tangible your eyes lose focus and your breath cannot escape from your lungs. I know the feeling of sexual abuse.
And today, when so many others are feeling the same, when men and women choose to exploit and engage without question in acts behind closed doors…the depth of sexual brokenness reaches far beyond four walls and a bed.
Men and Women of God may we not stand silently by. May WE act with honor and boldness and on behalf of those who are used. May we love those who are labeled. May we turn our eyes in disgust at the subjection of human bodies.
Search your own heart before you point that finger. Lift up the face of a stranger and show her the face of Jesus. Freely offer worth to the broken in all the humility of the heavens.
Jesus stretched out his arms for you. And your worth is great. And Jesus also stretched out his arms for them…and their worth is great.
Now go and act like it.
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