Steady yourself. Grab hold of something solid and consider: Do you feel the moral landscape moving under your feet?

It is no longer safe to assume that a Christian position on any moral issue is accepted by all your neighbors. You cannot assume that your faith-informed understanding of social mores, of right and wrong, of justice, of human relationships, of discipline or of personal responsibility are going to prevail in the marketplace.

Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, used the terminology of feeling “the moral landscape moving under your feet” in an April column when talking about the steady march of states approving homosexual marriage. He asked, “Is the legalization of same-sex marriage now inevitable?”

North Carolina law prohibits same sex marriage. It clearly defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. The Baptist State Convention board of directors has endorsed the work of NC4Marriage, a group formed to get that definition into the North Carolina constitution so that if challenged in court, a judge cannot rule the state law unconstitutional.

Annually now for six years, North Carolina legislative leadership has refused to act on proposals to put such an amendment to a vote. They do not discuss their reasoning.

If you are among the many who until recently never dreamed that “marriage” could be defined any way other than one man united with one woman establishing a committed relationship recognized by the state and the Church, developments of the past few months may leave your head spinning, and your feet tap tapping to find that stable moral ground.

On May 5, the Washington  D.C., city council voted to recognize same sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. On May 6 Maine became the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage.  New  Hampshire may soon become the sixth state to endorse homosexual marriage as its House of Representatives approved a bill to legalize the practice May 6 and Gov. John Lynch indicates he will sign it.

Same-sex marriage also is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont. Before November, only Massachusetts and Connecticut had legalized marriage between members of the same sex.

But issues surrounding homosexual behavior – which is clearly proscribed in the Bible – and equal protection under the law of all Americans without consideration of sexual orientation, demonstrate real conflicts for a thoughtful Christian who lives according to the Bible but also lives in a secular society governed by the Constitution.

Leaders such as New Hampshire’s Gov. Lynch, can be torn by their obligations to the Constitution even while they cringe at their own actions. Lynch has personally opposed homosexual marriage, but said in a statement: “…as governor of New Hampshire, I recognize that I have a responsibility to consider this issue through a broader lens.”

Christians in America are subject both to the Bible and the Constitution. Non-Christian Americans are governed only by one. Christians are put off when society ignores our admonitions for what we consider to be clear and simply defined rules of biblical conduct. But is it right that we Christians demand all of society live according to our rules? The harshest Islamic religious leaders operate that way and we completely deplore them.  

We know that if people did live by the rules of conduct in the Bible, society would be in immensely better condition. We know that because when we as Christians actually abide by those standards we find peace in our hearts and lives in synch with our Creator. But we live too inconsistently by our own standards to convince the culture to abide by them. Our tension comes when we advocate, demonstrate and demand that our code becomes law of the land because we know society would benefit, and instead we are dismissed.

Just as any other Americans, Christians should advocate for our position. But it should always be in a spirit of humility and an awareness that our views are not held universally. And always, our conduct should demonstrate the sweet spirit of the Lord who lived in a culture diametrically opposed to the new light He brought into the world.

The current cultural quick sand for Christians seems to be homosexual behavior and the eligibility of two persons of the same gender to “marry.” This debate slices deep and lays us open to the bone because we oppose the concept on biblical principles but we hurt for the individuals we know who wonder why as Americans under the Constitution they don’t have the same rights as do other Americans under the same Constitution.

Their argument is gaining momentum and moral ground is shifting.

When I was young my tiny town was scandalized by the pregnancy of an unmarried teen. It was easy to preach against premarital sex because everyone understood it is wrong; it is against the biblical moral code. Even those who did not personally ascribe to the biblical moral code understood that it was so ingrained in society they dared not flaunt their disregard for it publicly.

But the moral landscape shifted and premarital sex became so prevalent even in the church it was no longer safe to preach against it unless you had already identified your next job. Not so, divorce. You could preach against divorce without risk.

Then divorce invaded the church and prominent members parted from their spouses and you risked offense — and loss of members — by declaring that the Bible justifies only one reason for divorce.

Then abortion became the safe sin for preaching fodder until the deacon chair’s daughter came to you torn with tears.

The moral ground is shifting.

When considering your own response to the disorienting shifts, remember three things:

1. As a Christian your own moral standard does not shift.

2. Although our laws are based on a Judeo-Christian moral code, America is an increasingly secular society that will never embrace the standards of Jesus if promoted by a group that does not itself demonstrate the unconditional love of Jesus.

3. Don’t despair for the Church because it has always thrived most in an adversarial atmosphere.

Would you have a stronger, magnetic church through which the Spirit will draw men to Christ? Be the bride, not the barrister.

When you love and serve you will change the human hearts more than any number of laws you might try to effect in Raleigh or in Washington.