In Singapore, whether we empahsised on Law or Grace seems no different as we continue to speak out against gays very loudly in the public square or quietly change our focus of ministry once built on an anti-gay platform leaving behind the impact of destroyed lives. Whilst space should given for us as individuals to come to terms with our sexuality, leaders who were in the front line against gays should not make the grace of God cheap but bear the great moral and spiritual responsibility for the damage they had caused. There is a particular intrigued of transexuals leaders in the ex-gay camp in Singapore with the likes of Leslie Lung and Sy Rogers arguing that God saved them from undergoing the sex change operation as if Gays would ever want their most prized pocession removed. Sy Rogers is advertised by the churches as a "former homosexual" and an "ex-gay", a deliberate distortion of the fact that he is a transvestite (more correctly a transexual), and a huge difference from a gay man. He now preaches " sexual redemption" where he left of as a strong force in the 80s, and 90s where he preached against gays and promoting change to ex-gay even though he was a transvestite. His testimonies and videos became the poster boy for Exodus, Choices, and City Harvest Church. He may be a good and gifted speaker but that does not negate his damaging legacy in Asia. There comes a point when the church and the leaders will have to come to a place of confession of their sins and even the sins committed against gays by the previous generations of leaders. It is not so easily or morally forgotten even when one day the church or individual leaders begin to refrain from their actions against gays. In the backlanes of Changi Village in Singapore, one could see night after night, a very high traffic of cars for no apparent reason, going round in circles to watch the transvestites who will be beautifully attired and dressed as women. For many, this is one of the few occupations they could work as. A transsexual is totally different from a gay man. It is a man who does not accept the gender whom he was born with. A Gay man fully accepts and celebrates the fact that he was born a man. They are not the stereotypes mentioned by the Pastor of a mega church at Suntec as weak, effeminate and girlish. More often then not, gays are well built and very manly. Perhaps, he was confused with the transvestitie as Changi Village. Transexuals are very rare. One in every 2,500 born males is a transsexual. It poses a particular problem for Christians. If one changes the body through operation, does a "he" becomes a "she", and go one step lower in the order of "nature". Does the prohibition in the Mosaic laws apply to transvestities since they are in blemished by having their genitals removed? provided of course Christians also follow to the letter of the laws which they do not. Are they intrinsically unclean? And how do we minister Christ to the transsexual? One could argue that they still have a X and Y chromosome just as any male and so should be considered as a male. And yet, the National Council of Churches in Singapore has not made it a battle cry despite transexuals being accepted legally in Singapore. Instead, Transexuals have been used as the front line against gays.
I believe that God is speaking to the Church in Singapore today that nothing will be hidden and all will be brought to light. The disclosures of sexual and financial improprietry seen in America is coming to Singapore, even those that we hid 30 years ago. There is no running away from it for the light of Christ is coming to reveal all that is not of God in the church. God will be uncovering our hypocrisy for grace upon grace has been given to the church yet we continue to crusade against gays even when we may be worst sinners against the Mosaic Laws which we claimed to uphold in its entirety. There was once "A Freedom of Choice" (FOC) when the churches were given the freedom to choose to move on to preaching the Gospel of salvation rather than making an anti-gay platform. But they insisted on an anti-gay aggenda as the greatest threat facing the church and I believe that God will instead champion the human rights of gay people. Our stubborn unrepentance will cause the hand of God to be lifted exposing the hypocrisy of the church. There was once liberty, but now judgement through the Law for the grace of God was rejected. The manner and the basis for which we have judged, we will be judged likewise.
But God will return to be with His Church to comfort it, and in the midst of trials and reflections, they will be humbled and will renew their hearts and faith to finally emerge as salt and light unto the world, and a place where all are welcome despite their financial status, gender, sexuality, race, and sexual orientation will find peace, equality, hope and acceptance in Christ Jesus. Then we will see healing and power from the church as never before even more than the book of Acts for the latter will be much greater and more glorious than the former, so is the latter rain of God's spirit upon our blessed nation. If we were to be the salt and light then the Light of Christ must be reflected through us, and it could only be reflected if we first received the light of Christ into our lives and be totally cleansed and changed from glory to glory. |