I take great satisfaction that as an evangelism team we can bridge the troubled waters of heresy and blasphemy when going to various cultural events. Take, for example, our recent venture to the West Hollywood Gay Pride Parade.

On one side of the parade route are the lost and confused gay religious leaders, offering false peace and hope to a group of people dead in their sins and trespasses, believing the lie that it’s okay to be gay in God’s eyes, according to Scripture. No matter that the Bible clearly says that it’s sin, they have their own peculiar hermeneutics that justifies this sinful lifestyle—and all in the name of Christ.

On the other side, the “Christian thugs,” as some call them, shout their condemnation and hateful remarks in a decidedly unChrist-like way, bringing shame to the name of our risen Lord.

On the heresy side, along with empty prayers offered to a false god, is a worship team playing at full volume, in an attempt to drown out the Christian haters.

The blasphemy side continues their jaundiced preaching, ignoring the fifty foot rainbow flag being carried back and forth in front of their platform to obliterate their view and lessen their credibility, a credibility already diminished.

And there we were. In the middle.

As biblical evangelists, we want to be winsome, cheerful, and tactful when presenting the truth of God’s Word—just like Scripture says:

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. ( 2 Timothy 2:24-26)

The dictionary defines an ambassador as a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative. We as Christians want to be skillful and gracious when presenting our case to the other side, because we are representing the One who is of the highest rank.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. (2 Corinthians 5:20a)

Our message is this: We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20b)

We have been given a great mission: to declare that God forgives sinners. We have been entrusted with a great ministry, too. A ministry of reconciliation.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:18)

The best proof that we are doing the right thing comes from both sides of the parade route.

A gay advocate wrote, and I think, accurately, about us,

Because they are comparing themselves to the God-militia and often disdain the LGBT affirming churches and Christians at the Pride events, they envision themselves as the moderate and “right” way to reach out to the LGBT community.

I try, over and over, in person, on line and in blogs to let these street preachers/evangelists know that they are perhaps MORE offensive and damaging. I have a few years experience of witnessing the attempts of these do-gooders coming to Pride events and effectively hugging the LGBT community with knives in their hands.

And from the “Christian hater” side:

“He only strengthens the hand of the wicked but it made him feel good and that’s all that really matters.” This Christian “evangelist” is deceiving this man, sending him to hell, and it’s all about himself feeling good and loving. Epitome of selfishness; that is not the love of God at all. These types are worse than the wicked they are trying to save!

The lesson to learn? Sometimes, it’s best to be a middle-of-the-road Christian.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (1 Corinthains 13:1)