Tonight I chose to spend an hour of my time "protesting." I'm not much of an activist, but when Westboro Baptist Church says they are coming to town, I'll take a stand for biblical truth and grace to counter their warped perception of the gospel.
If you are unfamiliar with Westboro Baptist, they have made national headlines for their anti-homosexual protests. They protest anything that even hints of "gay," including military funerals, because soldiers are defending America, which in their opinion accepts gays. Westboro is pastored by Fred Phelps, and hails from Topeka, Kansas, which is my wife's hometown.
Because my wife and I lived in Topeka for a time, I have unfortunately been witness to many of their pickets with their offensive signs. I have driven by their church building with it's upside-down American flag and banners declaring "God Hates America" and "God Hates Fags." I've heard the songs they sing at their pickets, which are sometimes popular tunes with the words rewritten to fit their theology. I've read the twisted logic of Fred Phelps in his Letters to the Editor of the Topeka-Capital Journal. And I've heard the response of media and non-Christians who lump Fred and Westboro in with the rest of the Church.
(By the way, I refuse to link to their multiple websites spewing forth their doctrine of hate, but a quick Google search will bring their ideaologies to your computer monitor if you are that curious.)
With the above in mind, when my friend, Mark Forstrom, told me he heard that Westboro was descending upon Cedar Rapids and had a plan to counter their signs of hate, I decided to join in his plan. In fact, my 12-year-old daughter and a friend of hers chose to attend with me, making glow in the dark signs that said "God is Love (1 John 4:8)".
I wasn't entirely aware that so many groups of people were also planning to picket the picketers (it had apparently been all over Facebook this week, but I managed to miss it), so when I arrived, I was surprised at how many people were in attendance.
As you can see in these pictures, quite a wide variety of people were present. Some were clearly there to defend their belief in gay relationships. Some were there to mock Christianity and the Bible (because Westboro represents those in their minds). Some were there just to be silly. And some were there to represent what they believe Christianity really teaches. (My thoughts on the night after the photos.)
#1. I wish I hadn't gone.
What you don't see in the photos is the Westboro gang. That's because they never showed.
Had I known Fred's followers would have been no-shows, I wouldn't have gone. The only reason I went was to counter the messages Westboro's signs proclaim. But because their message wasn't there, I would have rather shared the truth of the gospel in a different fashion.
Although, I did enjoy hanging out with Tiffanie and Colette and seeing other Christians I knew were there because of their faith and desire to see Christ represented correctly.
#2. I would have changed my sign.
I know many at the protest were there because they believe being gay is not a sin. My "God is Love" sign probably made them believe I affirmed that. What I affirm is their humanity and God's love for them.
However, had they known that I believe God says in His Word that homosexual acts are sin, they might have called me a bigot (as I learned by reading the comments on this blog post) and lumped me in with the Westboro Baptist gang, regardless of what I say. As far as I am concerned, without Christ, I am just as much of a sinner as any gay man or lesbian - I don't see myself as better than them one bit. But what they don't like is my belief that their behavior based on the attractions they have is sin (just as the behavior I exhibited based on my sexual attractions before marriage was sin).
In retrospect, I wish I had been with a group of people holding a variety of signs. One would say "God is Love." Another would have said "Jesus Loves You." Another would say "Jesus died for all sinners (including me)." And another would say "God Loves Fred Phelps."
#3. I wish I could have had some interaction with others.
I wanted to take my daughter because I thought it would be a good experience for her as a middle school student who desires to share her faith in Christ. But the way the crowd was positioned, I did not want to take her into the mass of sign-holders, nor make her and her friend tromp through the snow. So we ended up positioned below the majority of the crowd, which was an excellent spot for sign-holding (we were the first signs cars saw as they came north on 1st Ave.) But this put us far from those who needed to know I stand with them against the hate-doctrine of Westboro, but I stand for the truth of Scripture and the power of the gospel for their lives.
#4. I wish Westboro Baptist really had been there.
As I stated before, I only went to counter the messages I've seen on Westboro's signs. Their presence would have helped me justify my presence there (again, I'm not an activist).
I also had hoped they would be there so that we could run up to Starbucks and buy them all hot chocolate. I wanted to show them I was consistent with my message - God is love, and He loves them, despite their erroneous beliefs and methods. (Plus, I would have liked a hot chocolate for myself to warm my innards!). Handing them a hot chocolate might have opened avenues for dialogue. Of course, I am deeply doubtful they would even begin to listen to anything I would have to say - they've probably heard it all before - but I believe God could use this foolish Iowan to accomplish His purposes to change their hearts if He wanted.
$5. It was amazing to see unity among such diverse people.
No, the crowd wasn't united on the gospel. No, they weren't united on the issue of gay relationships, marriage, or rights. But they were united against the message of hate Westboro has become famous for.
Andrew Marin, through his foundation and book, has been striving to bring these divergent groups together so that they can stop talking past each other and actually understand one another. But what he's been striving towards for ten years was achieved (albeit at a very shallow level) for one hour on a Friday night because of an infamous group known for their animosity for the GLBT community.
Conclusion
All in all, I don't regret going, because I believe I went with the right motives and made a decision based upon what I believed to be true. The GLBT issue is a divisive and important one. It's definitely one the the BIG issues facing the Church and our nation. Personally, I would love to interact with those embracing their gay identity as well as those questioning or wrestling with it. I hope gays and lesbians will know that I, as a pastor, do not hate them. I am nothing like the pastor from Topeka. I would love nothing more than to sit down, hear about their lives, talk about Christ, grace & truth, open the Scriptures together, confess my shortcomings, make a friend, and perhaps welcome them as a brother or sister in Christ. Because, as I said before, I affirm their humanity and God's pure love for them as seen by the cross of Christ.
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