There are many threats these days to traditional marriage and family life and, in my opinion, gay marriage falls way down on the list, maybe even at the bottom. Rather than more "ain't it awful" rhetoric regarding gay marriage isn't it time to ask some very hard questions of ourselves:

!. What programs and services to strengthen traditional marriage are being carried within our churches and by our churches in our local communities?

2. Is the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod actively advocating on behalf of government and corporate policies and services to strengthen families across our country?

3. How much time have each of us been devoting lately to our own spouses, children and grandchildren or have we been sidetracked from being positiver examples by too many other competing priorities?

4. Are LCMS pastors truly well enough trained to offer meaningful and effective marital and family counseling and are they also sufficiently aware of treatment resources in their local communities to make needed referrals to support individuals and couples in their congregations?

Until our church leaders are willing to address the above questions and other issues critical to supporting traditional marriage and family life (to take a hard look at themselves), perhaps they have not earned the right to pontificate on the topic of gay marriage. Perhaps it is time to be silent, and if traditional marriage is so important to them and to us, to truly act as if it was and get busy working harder on its behalf. Casting blame on others is not the answer! Meanwhile, our brothers and sisters who are gay and married, many of whom are devoted Christians, deserve our love and compassion and best wishes for a wonderful future together. How could we possibly wish them less than that?