The Movement Comes Home
The Movement Comes Home
Small-town Michigan has come face-to-face with the LBGTQIA+ movement. In the face of a deeply challenging conversation, I saw several reasons to have hope.
My week took an interesting turn last Tuesday when an e-mail hit my inbox. It was from a friend, filling me in on some developments taking place that afternoon in Middleville, MI. For 10 years, my family lived in Middleville, where I was the senior pastor at Peace Church.
I dug into the story a bit and discovered two things:
Later that day, the Village Council would be voting on whether or not to recognize June as “Pride Month,” which would include flying the “Pride Flag” outside the village offices.
Later that week, a group called “Middleville Pride” would be holding an all-ages event that would include a Drag Show.
If such a thing is possible, I was stunned and totally unsurprised. As someone who has been following our culture’s slide into sexual insanity since my college years, I’ve known that no place will be “safe” from a worldview that insists on acceptance and resorts to excluding and stigmatizing those who will not tow the line. In that sense, I was unsurprised.
On the other hand, MIDDLEVILLE?!?! Anyone who has driven through this town (one light on main street) knows that the people there aren’t really interested in these discussions. Most of the residents are church-going folk. Most of them aren’t really interested in what people do with their own lives. None of them feel like fracturing the peace of their small-town village.
Yet, one of the council members had decided it was worth a ruckus to make a point. This impulse, more than anything else, is what’s ripping our society apart. I believe most Americans, whatever their opinions are on sexual morality, aren’t interested in policing what other adults do. What they don’t like is being told that they must affirm, celebrate and even allow what those folks are doing to be taught to their kids. Historically, we have been a fairly “live and let live” society.
Of course, our desire, as Christians, is to see our friends and neighbors live in the good life of the Gospel. But we have seen the wisdom of building a society that recognizes the right to personal beliefs and convictions.
“The Movement” fundamentally disagrees with this approach. There is a deep desire to enforce acceptance—not just of individuals, but ideas. It further insists that it’s the role of every social institution to help with that enforcement.
Baseball can’t just be about baseball.
Beer companies can’t just sell beer.
AND… a non-partisan Village Council, whose primary charter is to make sure standards of living, plumbing and local infrastructure are well-maintained for all citizens, can’t just take care of these things. They must “make a statement.”
I was deeply pleased by the response the Council took. Rather than weighing into the issue and dividing this small town, they simply said, “This kind of decision is not our job.” The motion, brought by the activist council member, never received a second. One of the other council members made a statement of unity and understanding. And a clear example of how to handle these things at the local level was lived out.
I have yet to hear news about the “Pride Event” that took place later that week, but when I do, I’ll share what I learn with you. For now, take a look at this video. It includes the amazing statement by the village council member: