The Law of Love

One of the greatest experiences of my life was my friendship with the late Bruno Radi. What made it great was not that we agreed about everything. In reality, there were probably more things that we disagreed about than what we agreed on. I remember on one occasion Bruno was introducing me at a conference in South America and he said, “I have never known someone with whom I disagree more, and yet is one of my best friends”. The reason for that friendship was that we both were driven by a common, Christian love which overrode any possible disagreement.
There is a well known story about when John Wesley and one of his preachers were once taking lunch with a gentleman whose daughter had been greatly impressed by Wesley's preaching. The itinerant, a man of very plain manners and little tact, was conversing with the young lady, who was remarkable for her beauty. He noticed that she wore a number of rings, and taking hold of her hand, he raised it, and called Wesley's attention to the sparkling gems. "What do you think of this, sir," said he, "for a Methodist's hand?" The girl turned crimson, and the question was awkward for Wesley, whose aversion to all display of jewelry was so well known. But the aged evangelist showed a tact Chesterfield might have envied. With a quiet, benevolent smile he looked up, and simply said, "The hand is very beautiful."
Bruno often told me that it was possible to be right about something and yet not be in the right (it works better in Spanish). What he meant by that was very similar to what Wesley expressed. The law of love always overrides the law.
We live in a time in which people try to prove that they are right by being hateful toward other people that they disagree with. In my opinion, this is a case of being right, and yet not being in the right. Those who engage in this are not from just one part of society, but include the spectrum of atheists to fundamentalists from Muslims to Christians, and every sector of society. Perhaps, we could learn from my friend Bruno and from Wesley. The law of love is what distinguishes us more than anything else. I never thought that I would use Mormons as an example, but after discussion in class related to the missio Dei and homosexuality, a student sent me an article from USA Today that gives a good example of people who are trying to find a balance between the law of love and their faith in addressing the complex issue of homosexuality. I do not know if this is the right answer to a complex issue, and I do not know if the Mormon’s motives are pure motives. I do know, however, that we live in a time in which love which reflects the nature of God is in short supply. The following is the article:
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Mormon church for the first time has announced its support of gay rights legislation, an endorsement that helped gain unanimous approval for Salt Lake City laws banning discrimination against gays in housing and employment.
The Utah-based church's support ahead of Tuesday night's vote came despite its steadfast opposition to gay marriage, reflected in the high-profile role it played last year in California's ballot measure that barred such unions.
"The church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage," Michael Otterson, the director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said.
Passage made Salt Lake City the first Utah community to prohibit bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Under the two new ordinances, it is illegal to fire someone from their job or evict someone from their residence because they are lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender.
Utah lawmakers tend to quickly fall in line when the influential church makes a rare foray into legislative politics. So Tuesday's action could have broad reaching effects in this highly conservative state where more than 80% of lawmakers and the governor are church members.
"What happened here tonight I do believe is a historic event," said Brandie Balken, director of the gay rights advocacy group Equality Utah. "I think it establishes that we can stand together on common ground that we don't have to agree on everything, but there are lot of things that we can work on and be allies."
But the church has pointed out an inherent dispute it has with the gay lifestyle. Mormonism considers traditional marriages central to God's plan. Gays are welcome in church, but must remain celibate to retain church callings and full membership.
It's strong support for Proposition 8 in California last year drew a sharp reaction from gay rights supporters nationwide, with many protesting outside temples that singled out Mormons as the key culprits in restricting the rights of gay couples.
Since then, however, Utah's gay community has sought to engage church leaders in quiet conversations to help foster better understanding, said Valerie Larabee, executive director of the Utah Pride Center.
"I thought this conversation would never come to be while I was here in Salt Lake City," said Larabee, adding that the discussions have "shifted her perspective of what's possible" and could foreshadow a different relationship between the two sides.
But addressing the council on Tuesday, Otterson said the endorsement is not a shift in the church's position on gay rights and stressed it "remains unequivocally committed to defending the bedrock foundation of marriage between a man and a woman."
Church support for the ordinances is due in part to the way the legislation was drafted to protect those rights. Exceptions in the legislation allow churches to maintain, without penalty, religious principles and religion-based codes of conduct or rules.
"In drafting these ordinances, the city has granted common-sense rights that should be available to everyone, while safeguarding the crucial rights of religious organizations," Otterson said Tuesday .
Previous Utah legislation that sought statewide protections for the gay community did not contain those exceptions.
And although this was the church's first public endorsement of specific legislation, it is not the first time the church has voiced support for some gay rights. In August 2008 the church issued a statement saying it supports gay rights related to hospitalization, medical care, employment, housing or probate as long as they "do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches."
Last year, church leaders were silent on a package of gay rights bills known as the Common Ground Initiative, dooming them from the start.
*to see this article in context go to: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-11-11-utah-gayrights_N.htm?csp=34#uslPageReturn