God's Plumb Line

We United Methodist are caught in a quandary. And that quandary, I might add, is one of our own making. You might say it is self-inflicted. We have allowed an issue to take center stage in our life as a denomination. That issue dominates our conversations at every level of our connection. And we have allowed that issue to divide us into opposing camps, setting up the possibility of some kind of split. That issue, of course, is human sexuality and sexual orientation, or, to be more specific, our "official" stance on the issue of homosexuality. The Commission on a Way Forward is seeking to help us deal with our quandary.

As I have said before, issues and beliefs by nature are divisive. They require that a position be taken for or against, in agreement with or opposed to. And therein is our quandary: how do we determine which position is the correct position? How do we determine who is right?

We would like to be able to use the Bible to answer these questions. However, those on both sides of the issue appeal to the Bible to support their position. The difference in the positions lies in how the Bible is viewed and how the Bible is used. (I've addressed this difference in earlier blogs.) Consequently, something more than the Bible is needed to help us in this quandary.

I would suggest we use God's plumb line.

A plumb line is a simple tool ancient builders used in building walls around a city or to a house. It consisted of a stone or weight hanging on a cord from a tripod. Gravity pulling on the stone insured that the string was perpendicular to the earth's center. As long as the wall was built "in plumb," that is, parallel to the string, it would be stable and strong. When a wall was out of plumb, that is leaning, it was weakened and could collapse, destroying the house. This simple tool was especially important in the hilly country of Israel. When the ground was not level, how could the builder know his wall was perpendicular to the earth's center and, thus, stable? The plumb line was his guide for building a wall that was straight and strong.

The prophet Amos used the image of a plumb line in one of his visions: "This is what the LORD showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his had. And the Lord said to me, 'Amos, what do you see?' And I said, 'A plumb line.' Then the Lord said, 'See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel'" (Amos 7:7-8, NRSV). The plumb line - God's plumb line - identified whether the people of Israel were in or out of line with God. Were they straight and strong, in line with the ways of God, or leaning and thereby out of line with God's ways?

Playing with the image of a plumb line, I would like to suggest what alignment with God's plumb line would look like.

The stone weight at the bottom of the line is the character of God. God's character is the foundation (to change images). In Exodus 34:6-7, God revealed the Divine Character (God's glory) to Moses. God was described as "the compassionate and gracious God" who was slow to anger, abounded in faithful love, and forgave every expression of sin. The writer of 1 John used the word love to define the character of God: God is love (1 John 4:8). God's plumb line leads us to ask of any position we take on any issue, not just the LGBTQ+ issue: does the position align with God's character? Is it an expression of compassion and mercy, of God's willingness to put up with us without getting angry or disgusted, of God's refusal to give up on us or abandon us, of God's forgiveness? Is the position an expression of love?

The second piece of God's plumb line is the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus was the embodiment of God's character. As the writer of Colossians expressed it, he is the visible image (literally: icon) of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). In him, all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell (Colossians 1:19). If we want to see what God looks like, look at the life of Jesus. In Jesus, we behold God's glory (John 1:14). He was God in the flesh. He embraced all with grace and forgiveness. He responded with compassion and mercy to the needs of those who were hurting. He used his power to serve. (BTW, another word that describes the character of God is the word servant. Jesus was a servant. See Mark 10:43-45 and Philippians 2:5-11). God's plumb line leads us to ask: does the position align with the life and teachings of Jesus?

The third piece of God's plumb line is the ways of God that Jesus taught, what he called the Kingdom of God. In the Kingdom, all are embraced as beloved children of God. God does not divide into us-them groups. Relationships are governed by grace and forgiveness, not merit. God does not deal in guilt and shame and judgment. Power is used to serve, particularly the powerless and the most vulnerable in society. God never uses power over, down against the other. Money, as a form of social power, is used on behalf of poor. God's plumb line leads us to ask: does the position align with the ways of the Kingdom that Jesus taught?

A fourth piece of God's plumb line is an internal focus on the heart as opposed to an external, behavioral conformity to some standard or law. Jesus taught that what is on the inside, i.e., the heart, was the problem, not the failure to live by a prescribed set of rules (Mark 7:1-23). The Spirit is at work in us to transform our hearts and minds, conforming us to the likeness of Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). The biblical word salvation refers to God's transforming work in our lives, empowering us to love as God loves. God's plumb line leads us to ask: does the position align with a focus on internal transformation or external conformity of behavior?

God's plumb line guides us in determining what position is aligned with the character of God, the life and ministry of Jesus, the ways of God that Jesus taught (the Kingdom), the way of transformation of heart and mind into the likeness of Jesus. If the position does not align with God's plumb line, can it be "right"?

From my perspective, God's plumb line just might help us get out of this quandary we have created for ourselves.