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Discernment Needed Amid Change

May 22, 2019

In a recent post, I wrote these words: “While political opinions are being tossed about, perhaps the best faith-filled voices will ask questions like ‘So, what is the comprehensive, long-range plan you’re advancing? How can I and my church fit into those plans?’”

A current situation that challenged Bethany Christian Services, a child and family social service agency long associated with the Christian Reformed Church, gives us an opportunity to see how such questions can guide us when we find ourselves facing challenging situations in a post-Christian society.

As you may have heard in the news, the State of Michigan recently reinterpreted a law that had previously allowed Christian agencies, such as Bethany, to restrict their foster care program to heterosexual couples and unmarried individuals while referrign same-sex couples to another agency.

I suspect that Bethany’s constituency mirrors the diverse readership of CRC News in many ways. Some people may have responded to this news about Bethany by saying that they believe same-sex couples deviate from God’s design (per the CRCNA’s position statement) and should therefore be restricted from becoming foster parents. Others may have had the opposite reaction, saying that same-sex couples should not only be allowed to foster children but should also be sought out and encouraged to share their blessings with children in need of foster care.

I’d like to encourage us to do something that we’re not used to doing. Instead of taking an immediate side or position on this matter, let us instead join Bethany in asking questions.

If Bethany asked the State of Michigan, “What is the comprehensive long-range plan you are advancing?” the answer would be immediate and clear: our society’s recognition of same-sex marriage means that public policy must insist that agencies licensed to provide foster-care placement and support be open to homes headed by same-sex parents.

What about the second question? “How can I and my church—and a Christian social service agency—fit into those plans?”

Before answering that question, let me share a memory with you—a memory that stems from something I observed growing up in Grand Rapids, Mich., during my middle-school years. At that time, stores were beginning to open for business on Sundays. That had never happened before!

The reaction was quick and strong. There were bumper stickers and calls for boycotts: Do not shop—any day of the week—in stores that are open on Sunday.

Notice what was happening. A societal norm was shifting away from a value of the faith community. The faith community had a choice: to step away from the places with whom they disagreed, or to adopt a new walk.

The new walk went something like this: I need to be responsible for my own behavior. If I don’t believe it is a Christ-honoring thing to shop in stores on Sunday, I will not do that. But I also recognize that in this increasingly pluralist society, many stores will hold values alternative to mine. I will not remove myself from those stores. I will continue to be a presence there, to build relationships with people who run them and shop there, while at the same time I will continue to uphold my personal values.

What would it look like if Bethany applied a similar approach to the situation in which it finds itself? One option could be to walk away from the program, because the exemption protecting the beliefs of Christian organizations had been revoked. In this scenario, Bethany would stop participating in the State of Michigan’s foster-care system. As a result, the nearly 1,800 children whom Bethany places into foster care in Michigan each year might not be able to find loving, Christian homes.

The other option would be the one that Bethany has chosen. Bethany has opted to continue providing foster-care services in adherence to the law. Bethany will include in its services same-sex couples who apply, seeking to be foster parents. At the same time, Bethany has not changed its long-standing recruitment practice: to identify, equip, and encourage families in the faith community to live out their Christian commitment by opening their homes to care for children in need.

By participating in the system, Bethany is able to help children in need. The organization is also continuing to be a Christian voice that can speak with authority into future legislation, practices, and discussions surrounding children and families.

The foster-care situation in Michigan is just one example of our quickly changing societal context. Physician-assisted death, abortion, and many other issues confront us. In this new era we need Spirit-led discernment more than ever.

Our synodically adopted position statements give us all a place to stand, but what happens when societal change occurs where none of the outcomes allow us to participate fully in the public square? How will we show faithful integrity in a way that reflects Christ’s light through our words and actions?