Mercy 6: The Merciful Path
‘Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert…and a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness.’ (IS 35:6, 8)
A well-known Christian recently critiqued me on the grounds that ‘Comiskey apparently has no understanding of the variety of sexual pathways’: what she was saying is that I do not validate any sexual ‘route’ other than the goal of dignifying one’s fellow humanity, with a particular aim to honor the opposite gender.
She believes that the host of sexual inclinations native to fallen humanity require validation of a variety of paths on which to urge our fellows to become the best GLBTQ….person (s)he can be. (The morphing of the acronym speaks for itself.)
I am only grateful for the mercy of God revealed in Jesus Christ, who showed me the one path one which to become a whole man. To be sure, I have been fraught with a variety of impulses that sought to throw me off the path: to go backwards, sideways, to stall or to steer others off course with my lustful inclinations.
Blessed be Jesus, full of grace and truth, who enabled me to integrate the virtues of chastity and complementarity. Jesus’ way is paved with both: the hard-won gift of self-control by which a man motivated by SSA learned to dignify his brothers by not reducing them to objects of lust, and the progressive opening of my eyes and heart to the beauty of woman. Today my orientation is for woman, and in particular one: my beloved wife Annette.
I may at times feel otherwise. Thanks be to God who set me on His course and by grace keeps me on it. That includes but is by no means limited to sexual fidelity. My orientation means being for her in sun and storm, in ecstasy and indifference.
Jesus is merciful: He gently uncovers the path He has placed in every heart. He awakens us to the gift we are in our gender humanity; our freedom hinges upon discovering the path to chastity and complementarity, and proceeding on it.
‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’ (Jer. 6: 16)
Prayer Points for November 11th:
Desert Stream/Living Waters: Northeast: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, David and Ellen Cressman, Regional Coordinators. Please pray for new life and new groups in the Northeast region.
Restored Hope Network: Outpost Ministries, Minneapolis, MN. Nate Oyloe, Director. Specialty: worship ministry, youth, Living Waters, men, women and families. Desert Stream Ministries, Kansas City, MO. Andrew Comiskey, Director. Specialty: excellent resources used world-wide, especially the Living Waters program for healing of sexual and relational issues through drawing near to Christ. Prophetic intercession ministry.
Courage: Please pray for an end to abortion, pro-gay legislation and the culture of death.
Ministries of Pastoral Care: Please pray for humility, focus and grace to practice God’s Presence in each moment of our days.
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