Max Lucado has apologized for “hurtful” comments about the LGBT community but says his support of Biblical marriage remains steadfast. His statement is in response to backlash after the Washington National Cathedral was criticized for inviting him as a guest speaker.
The cathedral livestreamed his 22-minute sermon on Feb. 7. The service focused on easing life’s anxieties by feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit.
READ: Max Lucado letter to the Cathedral
“In 2004 I preached a sermon on the topic of same-sex marriage,” he wrote in a letter to the cathedral. “I now see that, in that sermon, I was disrespectful. I was hurtful. I should have done better. It grieves me that my words have hurt or been used to hurt the LGBTQ community. I apologize to you, and I ask forgiveness of Christ.”
Some members of the Episcopal Church, a denomination known for holding liberal views on marriage and sexuality issues, launched a petition asking the cathedral’s dean, Randy Hollerith, to rescind Lucado’s invitation to preach.
READ: Episcopal Church disciplines bishop for supporting traditional marriage
“Lucado’s teachings and preaching inflicts active harm on LGBTQ people,” the petition read. “To cite one example, in 2004 he wrote of his fears that homosexuality would lead to ‘legalized incest’ and likened same-sex marriage to incest and bestiality. Fear-mongering and dehumanizing messages from powerful speakers like Lucado have been used to justify rollbacks of LGBTQ rights and to exclude LGBTQ people from civil protections and sacred rites.”
Lucado wrote that faithful people may disagree about what the Bible says about homosexuality, “but we agree that God’s holy word must never be used as a weapon to wound others. To be clear, I believe in the traditional biblical understanding of marriage, but I also believe in a God of unbounded grace and love. LGBTQ individuals and LGBTQ families must be respected and treated with love. They are beloved children of God, because they are made in the image and likeness of God.
“Over centuries, the church has harmed LGBTQ people and their families, just as the church has harmed people on issues of race, gender, divorce, addiction and so many other things. We must do better to serve and love one another.”
Lucado also implied in the letter to the Cathedral that cancel culture should not win saying discussion can be uncomfortable. “I share the Cathedral’s commitment to building bridges and learning how to listen — to really listen — to those with whom we disagree. That work is difficult, it is hard, it is messy, and it can be uncomfortable. But we need it now more than ever.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice