Messy Grace

I just finished reading the book Messy Grace by Caleb Kaltenbach.  Thanks to my friend Paul Short for recommending it to me.  Caleb Kaltenbach has a very unique perspective when it comes to the LGBT community and the church.  He was raised by his lesbian mother and her partner.  As such, he joined them in marching in gay pride parades and in the process experienced the hatred of some individuals in the name of Christianity.  During his high school years he became involved in a Christian community and ultimately became a pastor.  Today he is married with a family and is lead pastor at Discovery Church in Simi Valley, California.

In the book, Caleb Kaltenbach takes us on his spiritual journey.  He credits the love and grace he experienced through his Christian friends for his faith conversion.  In the process he not only came to know the love of Jesus, but God’s expectations in terms of our sexuality.  I found little to disagree with when it comes to his Biblical perspective on the LGBT issue.  There is little doubt that it runs counter to God’s plan for His creation.  Still we are called to minister to that community.  In the process, things can get messy; hence the title for the book.

I found one key statement that captures Caleb Kaltenbach’s perspective: People are not the enemy.  They are the mission.  It is a reality that we live in a different world where the culture has shifted.  Unfortunately, as Christians we meet people who are different from us and immediately perceive them as adversaries.  It might be that they are gay or perhaps come from a different spiritual perspective.  That runs contrary to the example that Jesus established.  He seemed to seek out those who were not only lost, but whose lifestyles might run counter to the religious community of that day.  Consider his relationship with Matthew, Zaccheus and the women at the well. 

Messy Grace is a must read for those of us who desire to make a difference in our changing culture.  If we hope to pass on the torch of faith we, need to stop seeing those who are different as adversaries.