I would have stayed out of the whole “Corpus Christi” debate (a bunch of Christians protested the UNL production of a play that portrays Jesus as a homosexual) within the DN over the last few weeks, but when the DN satirized Narnia (“Christians angered over portrayal of Jesus as a lion in ‘Chronicles of Narnia.'”), I thought I should write in.

So, this was published today. (Mine is the last letter on the page.)

Here is the text in full:

Congratulations are in order to the DN for getting in the last jab on the “Corpus Christi” debate by publishing this satirical heading: “Christians angered over portrayal of Jesus as a lion in ‘Chronicles of Narnia.'” I know that you all don’t understand why exactly we Christians are upset by portraying Jesus as a homosexual in a play, so I am writing in the hopes that I might make it a bit clearer.

To begin, I would point out that we live in a broken world where people lie, steal and cheat in addition to engaging in all types of sexual activity outside the context of a marriage between one man and one woman, including homosexuality. This is not how things are supposed to be — God created us to be reflections of his glory, intending us to walk in perfect obedience to him. Had we not rebelled against him and fallen from paradise, we would have lived forever in a world of perfect peace, love, and joy.

Instead, Adam and Eve broke the only rule God had given them, getting themselves thrown out of the Garden of Eden and plunging all of humanity under the curse of sin. As a result, all of us–heterosexual and GLBT alike–stand guilty before God for rejecting his authority, thereby committing treason against the King of the universe.

But God, in his infinite grace and mercy, sent his Son Jesus into the world, who lived a sinless life, died on a cross, and then rose from the dead. It is crucial that Jesus lived a sinless life, since only someone without sin could pay for the sins of others. If Jesus had engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriage (either homosexual or heterosexual) he would have sinned, and he therefore would not have been able to rescue us from the wrath of God: “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake [God] made [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in [Christ] we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:20-21).

I know that you believe that homosexual activity is just the way some people are, and you are partially correct — everyone in the world lives with natural desires to live contrary to God’s perfect design. Jesus, though, came to do so much more than to preach love and acceptance.

He came to redeem sinners from the wrath of our Creator. Love, then, would not settle for an “anything goes” mentality, but would warn all men and women (regardless of sexual orientation) that they must turn from their sins to the grace and mercy of Jesus to be saved, or they will face the wrath of God.

So, it isn’t so much that your mocking Christians bothered me. Instead, my heart breaks that you so proudly refuse the joy and the love that Jesus Christ, through his death on the cross, made possible for you to know. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has conquered sin and death, but there will certainly come a day when he will punish those who have flouted his kingship. I will continue to pray that you will put your faith in him before it is too late.

Jacob Gerber

English major

senior