For a tradition that preaches of a Redemption that follows the Fall, I have encountered an uncanny amount of pro-death penalty sentiments in Reformed circles. I found myself waffling back and forth, wading through the pros and cons of death penalties vs. life sentences for many years.
For the person with gender dysphoria, much like Christ himself, no “how-to” manual on carrying the cross is provided. Only grace will be sufficient here.
The reason we are so fearful of our sin, the reason we are so hesitant to acknowledge it, is because we are so used to it. We’ve become so accustomed to living a life of sinful patterns that, even though we may pay lip service to wanting to be holy, the fear of letting go of our sinful nature is overwhelming.
What do we do with texts of joy in times when our spirits need lament? Do we ignore them?
It reminds us that God is not bound to offer grace to the disbelieving rebels, although He has done so time after time. It reminds us that God may also speak judgment to those who close their ears to His grace.
This reminds me less of complaints I’ve heard from others, and leads me to think more of a confession that I need to make. It is this poetry, nearly 500 years old, which rings in my ears in a new way.
