On Parade

In Proverbs 4, we find some words about the importance of protecting our hearts - certainly that applies to each of us, as well as to our children, in a world that possesses a host of inappropriate, unbiblical influences. We can read this:
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.

The word "Keep" in verse 23 can also be translated as "guard."  And, there is the clear implication of doubling down on that concept - we can take steps to protect our hearts, and to do that diligently. And, there are gateways to our hearts, such as our eyes and ears.  We have to make sure we are thinking godly thoughts and protecting our minds from those corrupting influences that would weaken our walk with God and get us off track. 

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God calls us to a life of purity - in thought, word, and deed. He calls us to flee from all forms of sexual immorality and to embrace His vision of marriage between one man and one women, rejecting infidelity in marriage and fornication outside of it. 1st Thessalonians 4 reinforces that concept:
1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor...

Last week on The Meeting House program, Karen England, the "Kitchen Table Activist," who leads the Capitol Resource Institute, discussed the connection between LGBT activism and obscene content. There is concern across the country about how sexually explicit behavior, performed by proponents of the gay lifestyle who want to be "loud and proud," is being displayed in front of children.

But, in city after city during June, Pride parades have become commonplace in cities large and small across America.  And, those who claim to be LGBT or affirm such behavior are intent on parading their behavior in a wide variety of forums.  I reported to you last year about how in Taylor, Texas, the sponsors of a Christmas parade there - a local ministers' association - did not accept an LGBT unit into the parade; the city supported those that were excluded, and there were actually two parades, one sponsored by the city.

A Fox 7 report on its website indicated that the Taylor City Council had passed an ordinance in its May meeting that "would include regulations for parades and other special events, amending Section 24-3, which exempt certain signs for city adopted special events." Texas Values noted:

This ordinance violates First Amendment case law, allows anti-Christian troublemakers to silence Christians, and gives one City official excessive power and control over free speech freedoms.

The organization encouraged concerned citizens to show up and "let the members of the council know that they should not infringe upon the citizen’s rights to have a Christian Christmas parade without fear of punishment or retaliation."

Meanwhile, Todd Starnes reports that an LGBT group was allowed recently to participate in a parade in Michigan, while a pro-life group was excluded.  Starnes wrote:

A group of pro-life teenagers was banned from participating in the Cherry Festival parade in Grand Traverse, Michigan because organizers determined they were too political. However, a pro-gay group was allowed to march, along with several other left-wing activist groups.

Emily Hollabaugh, described as a "pro-life leader," said: “We are appalled that our next generation is being denied the chance to join their town in the annual Cherry Festival Parade, all in the name of intimidation and harassment and now a supposed clerical error,” adding, “Our students look forward to peacefully walking with their community just as every other group who was approved gets the right to do so. We are proud of our students for being willing to outwardly march for life and we will continue to support them..."

And, across America, just do a Google search and you will find that parades seem to have become especially attractive to LGBT groups.  Last year, HBO, through its show, We're Here, brought a group into Granbury, Texas for the filming of a show. Houston Public Media, which would seem to be a taxpayer-funded service, reported that:

Ahead of last year's Fourth of July parade, three drag queens and an HBO production crew landed in Granbury, Texas.

"Some of the citizens of Granbury let us know immediately that they did not feel like we were welcome there," recalled Bob the Drag Queen.

He's a global drag superstar. The HBO reality show "We're Here" brings Bob and two other famous queens to small towns across the country, where they meet local queer people and allies and organize drag shows.

The article took aim at Texas Governor Greg Abbott, stating that this year:

Halfway through Pride month, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 12 into law.

While it isn't a complete ban on drag, the law does take aim at any performance deemed "sexually oriented" in the presence of children.

It could have a chilling effect on an artform that is central to queer expression and community.

I think you have to question about why certain groups feel that they have to be "in your face" in order to push their agenda on those who do not wish to participate or support it. But, like any good ad campaign, these LGBT groups want to get in as many eyeballs as possible, in order to desensitize the public to the agenda they are promoting.  But, we should be aware that they are involved in a warped view of sexuality, which stands in stark contrast to the Biblical image.  And, fortunately, lawmakers such as Gov. Abbott and others across the nation are at least pushing back by attempting to limit their sexualized displays to adults. 

Of course, in the course of these developments, we should ask, "where is the Church?"   We can consider whether or not churches are using these public forums to exalt Christ, to let people know that they are in the community and they are offering hope.  A pro-life group attempted to get involved in Michigan and was excluded, but that doesn't mean they or any other Biblically-based organization should just give up.  We should be devoted to integrating the Christian worldview perspective into the marketplace of ideas, confident that the teachings of Scripture are meaningful, relevant, and authoritative for today.  

Kirk Cameron, who is the catalyst behind "See You at the Library" on August 5 and local libraries across America, is an example of someone who was concerned about Drag Queen Story Hours taking over libraries, so he decided to request that libraries host him to read one of his Biblically-based books. He was rebuffed repeatedly, but some allowed it.  Now you can read about other communities in which people are reading Biblically-oriented material in libraries.  We don't transform the culture by sitting on the sidelines; we can ask God how He would have us be involved.