Pride Before a Fall

At Charlotte Pride this past weekend I witnessed several folks who came to protest, ostensibly speaking on God’s behalf. One particular sign caught my attention. It claimed, “God hates pride.” Then it listed several Biblical references to support the claim. Those passages, however, did not point to the LGBTQ+ Pride festival. They point to the protesters themselves.

How’s that?

I don’t recall the specific references on that sign, but they were verses like Proverbs 16:18-19; Isaiah 2:12; Jeremiah 9:23; Luke 14:11; Romans 12:16; and James 4:6. It seems someone searched for verses using the term pride and applied them directly to their ideas about the LGBTQ+ community with no further reflection. Each verse, however, addresses arrogance—one’s attitudes, words, and actions claiming superiority. By contrast, the event focused on the dignity, self-worth, and encouragement of the LGBTQ+ community, with no hint of superiority. The festival’s message was simple: regardless of your particular sexual orientation or gender identity, you matter just as much as anyone else.

The protesters’ message, however, looked down on festival participants as inferior. They had other signs with words of direct condemnation. As the first sign I mentioned, they pushed the idea of God hating an entire class of people, desiring their condemnation, punishment, or eradication. The only way to press that concept forward while claiming one’s own Divine vindication is writing off others as unworthy, inferior, and unloved.

Meanwhile, the Proverbs 16 text warns us to identify with the oppressed, rather than share the rewards of those keeping them “in their place.” The Isaiah text warns those who think themselves superior to their social inferiors of being called to account for their bigotry. The Jeremiah text warns those who think they own the truth that God seeks to amplify love and meet the needs of all. The Luke text is Jesus’ warning not to embellish one’s standing. The Romans passage says to treat all others in sincere love as our equals, outdoing each other in promoting another’s worth, and living in harmony. James tells us not to think too much of ourselves, but give ourselves room to grow in understanding, holding our ideas with humility before others. He follows that up saying not to condemn others, allowing God alone to be judge.

Before condemning an entire class of people, one should invite close personal scrutiny, humbly checking one’s own guilt and prejudices. James reminds us this is the issue with pride—thinking too highly of ourselves and treating others as less worthy than ourselves. The right thing in God’s eyes in always love. Love never looks like condemnation. When John speaks of God becoming flesh in demonstration of God’s grace and truth, he claims the incarnation begins with love. He tells us Jesus never intended to condemn the world, but to love and redeem all. Then Jesus told his followers to follow him in loving to the same extent of his own love.

Jesus never protested people. Jesus called us to return to a loving Father with arms stretched open wide to receive us, no matter what we may have done. That is the good news. Love and reconciliation and restoration is what God is about. That’s because God loves us just as we are. Demeaning others only demeans ourselves and places our arrogance on display. The problem with pride is its inability to love. Love more. Condemn less. Seek harmony and justice and reconciliation beyond our differences. Getting caught up in terminology is just preparing ourselves for a fall. Thankfully, there is always love to fall back on.

— ©Copyright 2026, Christopher B. Harbin 

http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/.

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