And Oprah says to Mr. Martin, "Have you ever thought that if every one who was hiding would just come out of their closets, this world would be a totally different place!?" Mr. Martin replies emphatically, "Yes!!! Yes!!!" And the crowd applauds.
As many of you know, Ricky Martin has announced to the world that he is gay. This is old news to some. But to others, it may be a shocker. Just the other day, however, he was on Oprah to talk about his decision to "go public" with his sexual orientation. It was both devastating and insightful.
First, the insightful part. He just couldn't be silent anymore. He struggled inside and knew that he was not living out who he really was. So he wrote a book. He came out of the closet. Ricky Martin looks back to this time as the greatest time of his life. To be open to the world about his homosexuality, and to be accepted, was the most liberating experience he has gone through.
Why is this insightful? Well, to come clean and be accepted is something that is not foreign to the human experience. This is what it means to be human - to live unashamed and fully accepted. As people created in the image of God, we desire to be fully known and fully embraced. This is true intimacy. This is true communion. This is what we were created for.
Why is this devastating? There are many reasons. First, Oprah rejoiced with him and the crowd applauded for him. In a sense, Ricky Martin is more of a star today than he was yesterday. I have stated it before; this is indicative, not of our rising, but our falling as a nation. Things must change.
Second, this is devastating because people cannot give ultimate acceptance. In a matter of years Martin's book will be off of the shelves, and his fans will have moved on to applaud another. Sure they may embrace and accept his homosexuality, but these fans have NOT accepted and embraced him. Sure, they may approve him now; but let him turn one of then down for an autograph...we will see how accepting they really are.
Third, from a Biblical perspective (which is the only true perspective), when we see people accepting sinful behavior, we do not see selfless love, but selfish idolatry. Oprah and the audience are revealing their idolatry, not their nobility. This is the reasoning of the audience: "Ricky is a star. If I accept him, he will accept me." This is the reasoning of Oprah: "Ricky is a star...and he is gay! If I accept him, those that love him will love me. Also, this will make one heck of a show!"
In essence, Oprah and the audience are doing with Ricky what Ricky is doing with other men. They are consuming him, trying to fill their own emptiness with a creature. It won't be long before their claps become criticisms.
Fourth, this show encourages misery, and keeps people from true acceptance and intimacy. A person who struggles with any sexual sin knows that the sinful behavior never satisfies completely. People's approval pails in comparison to God's acceptance. Indulgence in sin is always followed by a deeper hunger to have more, and more, and more. Man's praise and acceptance will never fill the craving. The creature is not greater than the Creator. Only repentance and faith in Christ will do.
Yes, Oprah was right. If everyone came out of their closet and received approval, this world would be a different world. But it will not be a better one. Homosexuality (along with every other sin) must not be embraced with praise. This only leads one farther down the road to destruction. Rather, the person must be embraced with the power of the Cross. This shows true acceptance in that Christ died for the forgiveness of sins. The sinner must also be met with the Resurrection of Christ - where, by faith, we are seated with Him, being finally united to our Creator.
Let us pray Christian...those who struggle with homosexuality and those who do not. Let us fight the good fight. Let us bear with one another in this difficult wilderness. Let us love holiness and hate sin. And let us show the world the acceptance and satisfaction that only Christ can give, by grace, through faith.
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