Commitment to marriage brings conflict

It was dark at the Bexar County courthouse when I went to look for a fellow reporter who needed a ride.

Valentine's Day was ending.

I sat with the motor running, scanning the dimly lit crowd on the courthouse stairs.

Homosexual couples were committing themselves to one another in the dark, a commitment that the state of Texas does not recognize.

Couples embraced with raw emotion. Tears of compassion welled within me.

I loved them all; courageous human beings fighting for rights marriage affords.

I am conflicted.

As a person who tries to be Torah observant, my standards for life come from the Word of God.

Scripture forbids homosexuality.

Marriage, defined from the first pages of Genesis, is an institution formed between one man and one woman.

For me, there can be no compromise.

His Torah has been a lamp unto my feet, and it has never failed me.

His definition is clear.

Yet, remembering the beautiful raw emotions on the courthouse stairs moves me days later beyond measure.

I pray every day that I learn to love as God loves.

He loves us all, but that love does not mean he accepts all our choices.

I hope one day these couples can share a civil union affording them the rights they want, leaving God's definition of marriage intact.