All you need is love

If love wins, what loses?

"Love wins" has been a rallying cry for those who support same-sex marriage. After the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges a celebratory post on the White House blog proclaimed that “Today, gay and lesbian couples won their right to marry. Today, love wins.” After all, the writer adds, “Love is love.” 

Back to my question: Winning goes hand-in-hand with losing. You can’t have one without the other. So the logical follow-on statement to “Love wins,” is “Hate loses.”

And just like that, those of us who disagree with this decision are branded as hateful or, at the very least, backward. After all, what decent human being would ever take a stand against love?

As someone who strives to use language with precision and skill I have to admit to a grudging admiration for the way the advocates for same-sex marriage framed their argument. They skipped discussions about the historical role of family in society and the ramifications of changing the definition of marriage and went straight for the heart. He loves her, he loves him, she loves her; it’s all good. Let’s get together for dinner tonight and watch “Modern Family.”

The only folks who aren’t on the receiving end of this goodwill are people like me. Disagreement cannot be tolerated. In his dissenting opinion Justice Samuel Alito summed up the result of Obergefell v. Hodges better than I ever could:

Today’s decision usurps the constitutional right of the people to decide whether to keep or alter the traditional understanding of marriage. The decision will also have other important consequences.

It will be used to vilify Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy. In the course of its opinion, the majority compares traditional marriage laws to laws that denied equal treatment for African-Americans and women.  The implications of this analogy will be exploited by those who are determined to stamp out every vestige of dissent.

Perhaps recognizing how its reasoning may be used, the majority attempts, toward the end of its opinion, to reassure those who oppose same-sex marriage that their rights of conscience will be protected. We will soon see whether this proves to be true. I assume that those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools. (Emphasis mine)

At church yesterday our pastor reminded us that Christians are commanded to do two things: Love God and love people. They're simple directives but I've obeyed them with varying degrees of success---I am a work in progress. It's especially hard to love people who hold you in contempt. To be honest, I can't do it, not on my own, anyway. I need the help of Jesus Christ, the One Who paid the price for my sins. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5.
  
I attended an Episcopal school from sixth through 12th grade and this weekend I remembered a "contemporary" song from our chapel services. I think it's more than coincidence that it comes to mind now:

We are one in the Spirit

We are one in the Lord 

We are one in the Spirit 

We are one in the Lord

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love
(Peter Scholtes)