Today Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church responded to the public outcry against his bullying in a blog post entitled “Gender - Is it a socially constructed reality or a God-given identity?”

As the title suggests, Mark seems to miss the point a bit, but I am grateful that the elders at Mars Hill held him accountable and asked him to “do better” in speaking about these issues with decorum and respect. That means that our messages were heard and that something was done. I know that many were hoping for an apology, but as followers of Jesus we must be willing to forgive without one.  This is a step in the right direction, and I thank Mark for taking it.  

In the post, Mark expresses his intentions to provide a fuller context for his views on masculinity and femininity via a new web site and a book.  (Coincidentally, Mark and I have both written books about the Bible and gender to be released by Thomas Nelson in the near future.) Evangelicals appear to be at a crossroads in this debate, and Facebook is certainly not the ideal forum for productive dialog… especially when everyone knows we’re moving to Google+. 

While I disagree with many of Mark’s views on femininity and masculinity, I am convinced that Christians can talk about gender issues with gentleness and respect, without resorting to stereotypes, bullying, and scorn.  

Mark is my brother in Christ, and I would welcome him to such a conversation with open arms.