Some of my colleagues--conservative Christian leaders--took offense at descriptions of Olympic Gold-medal skier, David Wise as living an "Alternative Lifestyle." Sit down friends, so you don't faint. I'm on the media's side. Yes, the fresh-faced Olympian has chosen an alternative way of life. Further I very much encourage other young adults to follow in his ski-tracks.
What got my associates' culture-watching noses out of joint is the history of the term "Alternative Lifestyle" in the culture wars. A real quick survey is in order:
We begin with a time not too long ago, when language that referred to people who made sexual/family choices that put them outside the mainstream was intended to put-down, hurt, inflict shame.
There was push back and in some cases appropriate repentance. Being right does not give one the privilege of being mean.
As the pendulum swung past center, it became common to describe choices about how humans relate socially and sexually not in terms of right and wrong, but as alternatives--one way is as good as another.
Still, because heterosexual, marriage-bound, child-bearing families continued to be the backbone of our culture, most of us reserved the term "alternative" for everybody else.
Now David Wise skis into our living rooms, and hearts. He is a twenty-three year old husband and dad, who, in spite of his baggy pants and totally rad freestyle routines appears really quite grounded, in the traditional sense. And then Skyler Wilder of NBC Sports refers to the young man as living an "Alternative Lifestyle. To quote the kids, conservatives like me are "all like, 'whoa, that's not alternative that's regular.'"
No it's not. Not any more. I was reminded of that again for the umpteenth time just last night.
I'll let others argue about the latest numbers about who is in bed with whom. I'm just going to speak from my observation.
Brothers, we kid ourselves if we think that most young adults are choosing--even attempting to choose--even considering the choice realistic and desirable--to live by the standards of the Bible. Premarital, extra-marital, and even inter-marital are not whispered words. They are celebrated. The various gender-identifiers are so numerous and fluid that one needs a scorecard to keep them straight. The one thing that is easy to understand is that our culture accepts them all. So, I agree with Wilder's characterization, David Wise has chosen an alternative lifestyle. I don't know him well enough to give a blanket endorsement, but as far as I know he has chosen to do what is right.
This is the point that those of us who claim to speak for God need to make clearly and strongly:
Morality, right and wrong, that which God blesses, and is therefore acceptable for us to bless in His name is not determined democratically!
When Jesus described the two ways at the end of the Sermon on the Mount,he made clear that most people are on the wrong way. When Paul counseled the Christians living in the debauchery of Corinth, he clearly challenged them to choose a different way. Too many of us have been trying to stretch an old, thread-bear sheet of public morality (which may never have been as moral as we would like to believe) over a culture that refuses to be covered. Rather we need to call people young and old to an alternative--a radical alternative--following Jesus Christ, bringing every aspect of our life under his Lordship.
I'm not upset with Skyler Wilder. Actually I thank him for the reminder.
Let's all be alternative. Do right for a change.
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