Margaret Court Australia

The Courage of One’s Convictions

    Margaret Court is a legend in the tennis world, at least in Australia. In the 1960s and 1970s, Court won 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Fourteen years ago, Australian Open officials decided to honor Margaret Court by naming one of their premiere stadiums after her: Margaret Court Arena.

    That is, until Court decided to take a stand against same-sex marriage. Current and retired tennis stars (such as Martina Navratilova and Andy Murray) are trying to pressure the Australian Open to rename the court. Same-sex marriage is still currently illegal in Australia but Court began speaking against it as far back as 2012. For what it is worth, she is a “pastor.” Two months ago, Court announced that she would boycott Australia’s airline company, Qantas, because they support same-sex marriage.

    Our own big-mouthed tennis star, John McEnroe, wants to rub salt in the womb, so to speak. He offered that, once Australia legalizes same-sex marriage, he and Elton John will stage, in the Margaret Court Arena, the “biggest same-sex mass wedding ceremony ever seen” (World Magazine, July 1, 2017).

    It is unfortunate (probably inevitable) that same-sex marriage has become broadly acceptable. It is also unfortunate that the issue is causing intense culture battles around the world. We cannot help that. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-20). But even if “evil hates the Light,” the Light cannot respond in kind. The Light must respond with love (Matt. 5:44), gentleness (2 Tim. 2:25), and truth (Eph. 4:15).

    Homosexuality is not the worst of all possible sins. I think we ought to be careful not to portray it as such. Yet, the repercussions of this sin, and the culturally-accepted same-sex marriage that follows, have not been felt in the modern era. How will it play out? Too bad we can’t ask the folks of Sodom and Gomorrah.

    However, even if/when homosexual marriage becomes as acceptable in our society as godly marriage, it will not mean the end of the church. It will not mean the end of the Gospel. It will not mean the end of Christianity. It will not mean the end of God’s prohibition. In fact, perhaps humans need to see and feel the repercussions of such a sinful lifestyle (at least in this life) before they realize they need God’s way; they need God’s pattern.

    When Rome fell, Christianity was left standing. I do not know what might happen to America but I’m confident Christianity will still stand and must stand to point the way back to the Light.

    Be faithful and be courageous. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).