Justin Lee is the founder of and executive direction of the Gay Christian Network. Photo: Amy Lee/Jericho
Who knew I had so much in common with a gay man?
That’s what I’ve been thinking these past couple days as I’ve read Justin Lee’s book, Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays vs. Christian Debate.
I was prompted to read it because he’s a fellow author with Jericho. But I wasn’t more than a few pages in before I realized that he was me and I am him.
In Torn, Justin writes about being a Bible-toting Christian teenager, so devoted to God that his peers nicknamed him God-Boy. Imagine his shock when he wakes up to these two truths: One, that he’s gay. Two, that his very own tightly-held belief system condemns him.
With gripping honesty, Justin tells the story of his bafflement and shame, the weight of his secret, and the terror he felt when he couldn’t find a way to “fix” his problem. As I read, I kept noticing how many of his sentences could be my own by simply inserting “alcoholic” for gay.
Don’t misunderstand. I know that alcoholism and sexual orientation are fundamentally different. I get that. But the burden and stigma that comes with them, especially among Christians, made me resonate with Justin’s story in a way that honestly took my breath away.
For example, he writes: “I’d wake up in the morning feeling sick and disgusted with myself. Something was really wrong with me and I couldn’t tell anyone… Night after night, I cried myself to sleep, begging and pleading with God.”
These three reactions—self-disgust, secrecy, and desperation for a way out—pretty much describe the nightmare of my drinking years.
Like Justin, for a long time I thought the answer was a miracle fix. Whamo! Your faith has healed you! You are no longer an alcoholic!
But God didn’t zap away my addiction. And he didn’t change Justin’s sexual orientation, either. And yet, here’s the cool thing. Both Justin and I did experience a miracle. Instead of “a way out,” God gave us “a way in” to a new kind of community and a greater understanding of God’s grace.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I wanted to be more “real” this year. I said I wanted to be less afraid to tell the truth about where I stood on certain issues.
Silly me, I thought “this year”meant maybe by, I don’t know, November? But here it is, January, and I’m more than ready to tell you that I no longer believe that people choose to be gay. I don’t think gay folks are going to hell. I don’t believe that being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transsexual can separate us from the love of God in Christ any more than alcohol can.
But really, who cares what I believe? What matters is who I love, and how. As God would have it, I happen to love a whole bunch of women who happen to be gay. Women who deserve to be claimed and celebrated for exactly who they are.
And while I’m at it, I might as well say that the church Dave and I belong to is an open and affirming congregation that welcomes everyone to worship and follow Jesus, no matter what their sexual orientation. And we like that.
Back to Justin Lee. If you haven’t read Torn, I highly recommend it. Justin isn’t out to convince you that he’s right. Only that he’s real. Instead of a cold, hard argument, his book incarnates the truth of one ordinary guy who discovered in his darkest hour a greater grace than he’d ever thought possible.
In case you still need a good reason to read Justin’s book, I’ll close with this excerpt from Torn:
“Grace sees people for what makes them uniquely beautiful to God, not for all the ways they’re flawed or all the ways I disagree with them. That kind of grace is what enables loving bridges to be built over the strongest disagreements. All of us have busy lives and a lot of other issues to address. But for anyone who cares about the future of the church, this can’t be put off. …Will we rise to the challenge? Will we represent Jesus well? Or will we be more like modern-day Pharisees?”
P.S. Rachel Held Evans is hosting a 3 week discussion of Torn on her blog. The first week’s post is here.
Check out Justin’s blog and buy his book here.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for this post, Heather. It has been enlightening, not on God’s view of homosexuals/homosexuality (because that has always been clear to me), but on how brilliant the church is at misrepresenting the gospel. The whole message of the gospel is that God wants no one to perish, but for all to come to know Him…to be identified with and by Him…not by race, gender, sexual orientation, or whatever else.
“Imagine his shock when he wakes up to these two truths: One, that he’s gay. Two, that his very own tightly-held belief system condemns him.” That line hit me for six, because the teachings of Christianity (and more so, God) have never condemned him, even while not approving of homosexuality. It makes me wonder what kind of church setting he could be in that would allow him to think God’s love for (and approval of) him was based on his sexual orientation, as opposed to Jesus’ finished work.
Here’s what I don’t get–the assumption that God’s views on homosexuality are somehow divorced from His love. I’ve seen the church assume that, and that assumption has filtered down into society. Grace is real stuff, and it works differently in all of us, but I was never taught that the fullness of grace meant heterosexual inclinations…and I live in a country that is allegedly among the most homophobic. Like, this whole discussion is…mind-blowing, because I’ve never fully understood how we got to a place where such a discussion was even needed.
Lori, I so hear you. But you’d be shocked at how many people think the gospel doesn’t extend or include Christ’s love toward those who continue to struggle with a particular sin or temptation after coming to him. It’s sad, but true. I agree with every you say here, but I also get out how people can hold other views because I used to, too. I simply didn’t think beyond buying into the whole political/issues/right stance and that was my “team” and this was what we believed, and we angrily resisted anyone who thought differently. Whew! I’m so glad I’m not there anymore. What a burden. What a heartbreaking way to live–trying to somehow reconcile a God who rejects a person based on their orientation with the God who sent his son to die. How did I ever think that worked out? Anyway, thanks for writing! Sorry I missed this comment until now.
Indeed, Heather. If only we’d all realise that God isn’t limited in His capacity to love. How great it is that God doesn’t need to be okay with our sin to be okay with us. I’m glad you brought this up. It’s amazing how we all keep growing in our journey towards truth. Blessings.
Hi Heather~ I just loved this post, too. The older I grow, the more I’m wrapped up in God’s love and grace than trying to be right. Unconditional love is the true Balm of Gilead.
Who are we to know what ‘right’ is? Like the Lord asked Job at the end of that book, “Were you there when I fenced in the seas?”
Our job is to love God with all of our hearts and to love our fellow humans with all of our hearts. When we do that, we can’t go wrong. Let God figure out the rest. We certainly can’t!
When our youngest daughter ended up pregnant at 17, it became a time when I learned the hard lesson that my parents and sister didn’t know the meaning of the word – unconditional. Just when I needed their loving support, they weren’t able to give it to me. I had to look to my husband and friends who lovingly provided it in abundance. My family eventually came around when they realized we loved our grandson unconditionally, even though his birth circumstances weren’t up to the standards ‘they’ believed was right.
Thank you for your grace-filled words. Too bad you’re in CO and I’m in PA! We could have a great time over a cup of coffee~
Thanks so much for this wonderful note. I agree wed have a great time over coffee. Kindred faiths make such sweet friends. Stay in touch, since you never know when I might make it to PA.
I got pregnant with Noah at 17. So grateful for that now! God has never met a mistake he didn’t somehow also plan for. Don’t ask me to explain such a wonderful redeemer. So glad I can’t. Hugs! H
Wow Heather, you really started a chain of comments! I read every one!
I appreciate your openness to look at this issue and consider the truth. I myself struggle very much with this issue, and you haven’t made it any easier! On the one hand I totally agree with you that we are suppose to love and administer grace as children of God. That includes people who are non believers as well as people in sin, even rebellious sin. But God also does speak in truth about how he feels about these issues, and clearly he doesn’t approve of them. I am friends with a number of gay men as well as a couple men who were formerly gay, yes formerly. I know people have issue with that, but one was living as a gay man for nearly 20 years before being convicted by God to walk out of the life style and is now married to a women and has two kids. So I am not so sure about the born gay stance. After all if I would have asked him 10 years ago he would have totally said he was born gay and that’s it. I think many of us are torn about this issue and truly love people who identify as gay, but also struggle with what the bible says about it. I for one am in limbo on the issue, but fall to the not Gods will, is a sin side. If I believe that it’s a sin then I can’t possibly be ok with a gay identified person being in leadership at a church any more than I would expect a drunk or someone cheating on there wife to be in leadership. So in the end I am happy you wrote this……but it doesn’t make the issue any clearer for me personally.
I somehow missed this comment, Andrew. Thanks so much for it. I love the honesty of your answer and it’s okay to be confused, I think. I agree with you that many Christians are genuinely torn about this issue. I think a lot of it comes down to how you read your Bible. I am so grateful for people like Rachel Held Evans and others who take the time to tackle issues like this one head on and can do a much better job at it than me. I appreciate that it helped some people think about the issue and quite a few told me they bought his book and it was eye opening, to that’s good. Hope you keep reading, Andrew!
Eric, this is a fabulous comment. Honest and well thought out. I love when readers take the time and care to share this way. I think your summary points are fabulous. And I agree that getting drunk is sin. But I also think that the good news, since I place to go for forgiveness if I get drunk, which I hope I never will again. I think it’s so easy to get hung up on what is labeled “sin” when that’s not really what matters, since we sin as soon as we open our eyes every day. What matters is that we are on a path of learning to live as forgiven people who have been turned by God’s kindness and compassion toward a better way of living that doesn’t hurt us or ourselves. I think we get hung up on the “dirty” aspect of sin instead of focusing on how it’s all about living in union with God and in harmony with others and doing God’s wil on earth to the best of our ability. Sin sucks because it hurts people. But God’s love is so much greater–and he loves us way more than he hates our sin thank God.
First of all, sorry for not reading all of the other comments (time issue).
Second, I’m sorry to have to be somewhat a voice of dissension.
Third, I have already met you halfway. Where I have already come to the same conclusion you have (and in opposition to a lot of Evangelicals) is that I, too, believe some people are born “wired differently.” It certainly explains some of my “unusual” behavior (said mostly jokingly)! I also agree that churches should welcome any and all people, although it may be well to not necessarily let non-believers into the sanctuary per se (comes in part from the Jewish Law regarding who can go into the temple, but I’ll put it into the present here; maybe non-believers should go to a “seeker” class, so that what happens at that particular church is understood by all who would join BEFORE bad things happen to either the congregation or to the seeker). Once it seems the church fits the seeker, then proceed as desired — it’s just a suggestion…
But where I’m at odds (and in some inner conflict with myself) is that the Bible DOES condemn certain types of behaviors; drunkenness and inappropriate sexual behaviors are mentioned several times in the Old and New Testaments! Note that I have NOT labeled some forms of sexual conduct as “better” than others. Many of us conveniently forget that gossip, abuse of the Communion elements, and a host of other things are condemned, too. But I digress….
I have 35 years’ sobriety myself. My father tried to molest me three times during my teen years. As you can see, I do have a stake in this conversation. But despite all that, I have come to a conclusion: GOD REALLY DOES LOVE ALL OF US. His Son DIED to make a way for ALL of us to come to salvation! But also clear is that there will be those “who practice [certain things] who will be left out of His kingdom. it is spiritual malpractice to not warn people of their going down the wrong path. At this point, I’d better stop, lest I go into a direction I don’t really want to go at this point….
I make the following summaries: 1) I do what I can to love EVERYBODY — as the Lord has given His unconditional love to me, I am to love others; 2) As one of “the redeemed,” it is my duty (it has been given to me) to overlook a multitude of faults — my kids are my trial AND my testimony to some successes, and some failures; 3) I have friends who are homosexuals — I value their friendships, and I will stand by their uniqueness AS PEOPLE; 4) I still have “bugs” to work out in my theology; 5) Our God is often too small — if He ONLY loves, then He is not righteous, and if He is ONLY righteous, then He does not forgive. We in the West have to learn that He is BOTH/AND — both loving AND righteous!
Just as the homosexual is not to practice same, I am not to practice drinking — BOTH are abominations.
And as to “love”: I love my brother and my sons, but I do not have to have sex with them to “prove” it, any more than I have to buy them gift after gift after gift to “prove” that I love them.
“Having sex” has NEVER been a “right” — it’s a privilege. Just sayin’….
Wow — I sure “prattled on,” didn’t I? So much to say, so much ADD and Asperger’s to say it! And since you “welcome comments,” I, too, welcome comments back (respectful, of course, as I have tried very hard to be)!
Eric in MN
For those interested in reading Torn, I’m currently running a giveaway of 7 copies of the book (because I think it’s that good!). If you’re interested, you can find the details here.
THIS IS SO FABULOUS! Let me know if you end up with any copies left and I’ll drop a P.S. on today’s post about them. Thank you!
Well, you did just jump in there right here in January! Loved the links and know I will follow up on both Justin and Rachel’s studies as this really embraces the love of Jesus that our flesh and culture can not comprehend. When in doubt, we can trust the love of God and live in love versus the judgement of our understanding. I just well may be a straight, alcoholic bald gray haired gay man???…whatever. a child of God blessed by His love and the trust in His understanding. Blessings as you keep jumping in!
Yep, I sure did. Head first. Thanks so much for taking time to encourage me, Tom. I agree with your words that we can trust the love of God when confused. Sometimes I just ask, what would Love do? And that helps me know which parts of seeming conflicting Scriptures I am going to take to heart and live by. I just don’t think I can go wrong erring on the side of acceptance, grace, and love.
This is the Jesus I know too, Heather (and I LOVE your blog). I have a daughter in recovery from some heavy drugs, and a brother who’s a gay man. Both are remarkable human beings.
“They will know we are Christians by our love..” (not our judgment).
Amen, amen, and amen. I am so happy to “meet” you. Thanks so much for this important comment. Everything changes when you put skin on an “issue.”
Wonderful Post. We know the same Jesus. Blessings~David
Ah, I love it when that happens. We know the same Jesus. I just felt such a rush of relief when I read that. Thanks so much.
I’m so glad you wrote about this book. It’s the next in my Kindle queue! Your point about the shame of being a Christian who struggles with a “taboo” issue is right on – when we have grace for others (and ourselves) wherever we might be in our walk with the Lord, we are on the way to experiencing Christ’s healing.
I’m so glad you’re going to read it. And thanks so much for getting what I was trying to say in this post. Love that. Amen to your last sentence, too.
I was wondering whether to wade in on this one, but here goes, as in “just sayin”…
Is it just me, or has what has been created by this discussion (not just yours but many on this issue), is the very dynamic this discussion tries to mitigate? We switch from whether we will “fully accept and love gays” (notwithstanding what that looks like or what it means), to whether we will accept and fully love those with whom we disagree on the issue, and more to the point, what the bible says and what a “true Christian” should believe/think.
And so we end up with new labels for each other like conservative, evangelical, liberal, progressive, etc. Then the true definition of tolerance comes up for debate and ultimately ends up at “so what do true Christlike acceptance and love mean?” as relates to how God sees it and thinks about it.
I respectfully suggest we are certainly compelled to make judgements (may be called interpretation, assesment, belief positions), but unfortunately we are also highly tempted to engage in judging other people (as seen in taking sides and the resultant groupings (as in non unity – and I don’t mean everyone agreeing, but identifying with opposing camps) and our attitudes and positions taken with others. It is not as important what others think about how those that disagree with us are acting, but how in fact we are acting in relation (specifically chose that word as in relationship – ideally preserving unity as our Lord prayed) to each other.
With respect, I haven’t read much about the issue itself in this blog, Rachel Held’s, nor the comments in either (granted I haven’t read the book because this is the first I hear about it, but I have tried to follow the issue because it is so large in the bigger picture of faith in Jesus, that results in His body known as the church, salvation, the culture at large, etc.).
My own position/opinion is warranted if I’m speaking about this. I plain don’t know if someone is “born gay” for two reasons. First, I don’t think there is absolutely conclusive scientific evidence for one position of another, but secondly, I’m not sure there is even agreement in the discussion on what it means to be gay.
Personally, I don’t find it a stretch to believe someone is born with a dynamic of being attracted to the same gender (or equally to both) and to be specific, that attraction is as relates to one’s sexuality. I find it can be confusing (whether done deliberately or not) to morph the same gender attraction with sexuality when framing the issues as relates to sin as seen in God’s eyes (recognizing most will base their view of this based on what they think the bible says, ostensibly believing it is God’s words to humanity. so….when someone says God hates gays, or gays can’t be true Christians, I think at the very least that we have a definition problem to start with, notwithstanding other issues). My heart is highly grieved when I see people equating another’s position on the issue as grounds for belief that we don’t/can’t hold a common faith, as in being brothers and sisters in Christ.
It seems to me, the issue is about engaging in sexual acts with others outside the confines of marriage. Of course, this also involves the issue of what God’s truth is as regards marriage, namely is it exclusively between one man a one woman, or is it between any two persons that love each other and are wanting to be joined in a life long committed relationship which, among other implications, will involve sexual acts between the two persons.
And that is what I want to hear discussion on. With respect, I don’t think the discussion is about whether God accepts us and loves us, but what His words (in the bible) say about His view, even if the argument presented seeks to show that we can’t know His will on this (but then demonstrate why I could/should think/believe that).
I suspect it may be obvious that my current view is that sex outside of marriage between one man and one woman is sin, commonly referred to as sexual immorality. I trust I remain open to be convinced (convicted, but I don’t use that word too often because of how often it is misused carrying a connotation of condemnation which I respectfully suggest is not accurate as relates to the work of the Holy Spirit – satan is the accuser of the bretheren).
And finally I return to your post Heather, where you draw the analogous dynamic between being an alcoholic and being “gay”. As others have mentioned, I don’t think there is a problem agreeing that being an alcoholic is one thing (whether life long or something we can be healed of through Christ where the physical/psychological compulsion is no longer present) but I don’t see where getting drunk is ever not sin. I totally get that we struggle with drinking to the point of drunkeness, but it would be a completely different thing to take the position that I, and anyone else, should have the freedom to get drunk, it is not sin to get drunk and everyone should believe that is what God thinks.
I know I’ve gone on to long. Please provide me with reasons that engaging in sexual activity with someone outside the bounds of marriage between one man and one woman is not sin in God’s view of truth and that I should be free to try to convince others of that as truth. Of course this is not the same as recognizing people will struggle with sexual temptation (quatitatively much more in a heterosexual context than homosexuale context).
With respect, please don’t patronize me with explanations of acceptance of different views, different interpretations of the bible, different denominations, different labels (especially ones with christian connotations like evangelical, conservative, liberal,etc), but please provide me with differing lines of thinking with respect to the actual issue at hand, namely engaging in sex as a freedom created by God to enjoy by persons “as long as they love each other”, and the boundaries outside of which God views sexual activity as sin.
As relates to love and acceptance, I accept all people and love all people equally in an ever-increasing capacity as the grace of God impacts me in that dynamic on an ongoing basis.
Tom, thanks so much for commenting. I can’t respond to all of this, but I think you raise good points, as always. I want to address this: “Please provide me with reasons that engaging in sexual activity with someone outside the bounds of marriage between one man and one woman is not sin in God’s view of truth and that I should be free to try to convince others of that as truth.”
I don’t ever mean to patronize you, Tom. I blogged about this book because I think this is an important issue for Christians to come to grips with. I don’t propose to have all the answers or to even try to fully address the issue here. My hope is that people read the book and it gets them thinking. I find it so interesting that I never used the word “sin” in my post, but it is what objectors are most worried about. I think of sin of as anything we do that “misses the mark” of God’s best for us. I think the New Testament writers do describe sex outside of marriage as immorality. I think that getting drunk is sin, too. I think a million things fall into the category of sin and that we all sin every single day. I didn’t set out to talk about gay sexual relationships as sin or not sin–we haven’t defined near enough terms to begin to have such a discussion. And even among Christian gays there is a HUGE difference of opinion in terms of whether one should live celibate or not. What I said is simply that I don’t think being gay itself automatically means a person is going to hell. I don’t think any sexual act or thought or orientation is great enough to separate us from God’s love. And I believe that attitudes of many Christians toward gay people–the prejudice, ignorance, and desire to keep them from fellowship–is wrong. Based on my own personal experience and the research I’ve done, I’ve come to the conclusion for myself that being gay is in most cases not a choice. I could be proved wrong some day. I don’t know if any of this will satisfy you, Tom. I think this isn’t the discussion you are looking for. It’s really just a post about a gay guy’s book wherein I’m owning my own conviction that I don’t think being gay condemns a person to hell or means they can’t be a Christian. I am not condoning getting drunk. I’m not condoning sex outside of marriage. I’m not encouraging people to do or believe anything. I’m just being really open about my views–and trust me, they aren’t set in cement. Once you start sifting and sorting and digging into nitty gritty theological debates–I can’t help you. All I can tell you is that I want to show love and acceptance and grace to all people equally, regardless of my definition of sin or whether I suspect they partake in something I think of as sin for me. Does that make sense? I raised this issue knowing that I couldn’t possibly satisfy certain readers’ desire for more clarity and discussion of the issue. I am STILL learning. I am STILL confused often. I still have questions. But when I doubt, I err on the side of love and grace toward the person, no matter what “sin” they struggle with. I’ll never be that person with a rock solid, air-tight, biblically based argument. I don’t believe in those, to be honest. I will always be the one saying, Perhaps. Perhaps your right and I’m wrong. I have to follow not just some opinion or group–but my deepest heart and what my soul–Christ in me as far as I can tell–believes is best or right for me. I’m sorry if I disappointed you with this post, Tom. I value you so much here on my blog. You’re right that the discussion is inadequate. I knew it would be. I don’t have the taste or the chops for the kind of debate that is warranted for those who are interested in that kind of thing on this topic. I just think life is too short. I apologize to all readers who felt derailed by this post. Really, I do. But I also hope it means one or two might open their hearts a little more to someone they know who is gay and try to understand a little more about what is at stake in the church’s approach to the issue.
Heather,
Please never take any disagreement I might express or question I would have as any reflection on what I think of you. It is never persoanl in that sense because I am so thankful for any opportunity to interact with anyone that is willing to be real and put themselves forward honestly and openly.You are a central figure in a community of people dealing with the intersection of addiction and grace by virtue of your God given abilities and willingness to be engage.
My apologies are warranted if the sense of my comments was disapproval of anyone, first and foremost you. I abhor the simplistic “being gay is sinful and gays cannot be true believers” position. I truly accept and love all people. Where any of us are in our relationships with God is ultimately personal and I would much rather leave the leading to God. He loves us and will respond accordingly to anyone who earnestly seeks Him. Where anyone is at, how God is interacting, timing, content….all of it is far too complex for me to understand, let alone attempt to play God.
My intent was only to try to isolate a discussion issue where different views, logical arguments, experiences, etc could be offered for consideration. Ultimately, as a Christian, I’m interested in what God thinks, and that should not be taken in any way to be necessarily synonymous with my opinion/view.
However, I don’t want to gravitate to a “god of my own making” and I think this is a dangerous in the arsenal of deception that wars against truth, and the TRUTH. I think we all need to guard against deception, and there is strength in numbers, as in we need to help each other.
My point was that I was disturbed by the entire “gay issue” becoming something that divides as christendom divides into camps of who is more accepting and loving, who stands more courageously for the tuth, God forbid who is really a Christian, etc., and all the dividing actions from the extreme (so and so is going to hell, and I’m glad) to subtle “dis’s” that promote the heirarchal nature of our culture’s dynamic for interaction. And of course there are all those labels that narrowly define and compel disunity, division….even hate.
I know the grace that I live in (Jesus is full of grace and truth and I have my existance “in Him”) and am loathe to judge anyone, because I KNOW ME. I would never have been free to acknowledge that if I first didn’t have grace revealed….it would have killed me! How dare I judge anyone?!!
I’ll keep listening, considering…..and by God’s grace…loving. Again, my sincere apologies for anything that was not condusive to building and strengthening unity inside the grace of God.
Tom, no apologies necessary! I know your heart and never doubt your intent. I totally get what you’re saying here and I am so glad you wrote again. Thank you so much for taking the time to share these thoughts. They really matter to me and I am just nodding my head a lot as I read them. Hugs.
My heart longs for a community that embraces mystery over certainty and love over knowing “the truth.” Your post brought that yearning up and I cried. (This sentence threw me over: “Instead of “a way out,” God gave us “a way in” to a new kind of community and a greater understanding of God’s grace.”)
The mystery of my faith keeps me excited and ever striving to be the best that God made me to be. When I see that the certainty of others blocks them from the gynormous love out there, I feel sad. And my yearning grows.
Thank you for this intense moment of feeling today. I will now go back to work with a connection to my heart… and hopefully a bit of your compassion and grace!
God does not make mistakes. God made Justin. Justin is gay. Do the math.
Being gay is no more a choice than the fact that I prefer latin looking men rather than more European looking men. (Even though I’ve been married for 30 years to the whitest white man you’ve ever seen – who knew?) We can’t help with whom we fall in love and every soul on the planet deserves to find the one that completes them.
I’ve read the Bible and I see things so differently than many of my pastors over the years which has led me to believe that the Bible (like the Constitution in the US) is open to interpretation and that it’s my job to interpret it the way God leads me to interpret it.
Great writing Heather. Thank you so much for this post.
Sherry, thanks for this perspective! it really is pretty simple. And interpreting the Bible is such an impossible task, if you ask me. If we are not humbled by the idea of it, we’re beginning at the wrong end. I think all my years in publishing helped me see that. When you’ve got schism within the schism–one pastor who doesn’t want to be in the catalog next to another because he’s got some of his doctrine or theology wrong, and they’re supposedly in the same camp–you start to realize how insane it is that anyone thinks he can come up with some perfect method for reconciling all the contradiction and paradoxes. It’s not even one book, is the problem. It’s a collection of literature written to different people at different times in history, some of it history, some poetry, some letters… and a bunch of men got together and decided to put it all in one book and declare the innerant word of God, untainted by the process of having been written by men. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Bible. I love the Bible way more now than I ever used to–but that’s because I gave up trying to make it into a clear and perfect instruction manual about how to live life in the 21st century. I love the Bible for what it is, not what I wish it was, as RHE puts it. Her post about loving the Bible and why she does is one of my favorites of all time. Sorry, didn’t mean to ramble. H
This is a link to Rachel Held Evans’ post about the Bible that says so well what I would want to say that I don’t have any need to resay it. For anyone who’s interested. http://rachelheldevans.com/blog/i-love-the-bible
Such a great post by Rachel. I just shared it.
Here’s the thing though…it’s not all of what was out there! It’s just what the Catholic Church decided should be included to forward their politics at the time and control the population. (I was raised a Catholic by the way.) This is the part I found so fascinating! That the book that someone told me should be the end all and be all of my life – that included ALL of God and Jesus’ teachings – is only a portion of what actually existed.
AND when this finally came to me it answered a question I had for many years.
Didn’t Jesus write anything down? Didn’t he pen any of his own gospels?
Well maybe he did but they didn’t make the final cut.
Again…fascinating. I’ll check out that post by Rachel. Thanks for the link.
OOOh you like to live with that Dangerous God, eh? I am always intrigued by the weights of sin. My background is decidedly anti-Catholic (but now I’m an Episcopalian, go figure!) yet even the evangelical community seems to need to “weigh” the sins of persons. Is it a “3 Hail Marys and 4 Our Fathers” sin? Or is it one that you could be absolved from simply by bowing your head? I can’t abide a notion that says Jesus is going to show up at the Judgment Seat with a giant hammer for the “weightier” sins. Hitler may get special punishment but then again, maybe he didn’t fit into the “abomination” category enough times. When will we decide to trust God’s goodness and mercy and just love one another as he has loved us? You are brave, my dear friend. And that God of ours is so dang dangerous.
Ooooh, I do! Yep, he done smashed all my safe little boxes a long time ago. As you well know, friend. You helped stomp on a couple, probably. I am so grateful to hear from you today and your comment makes so much sense. And yes, how funny that you ended up Episcopalian. That’s a dangerous denomination, you know. I used to want to be Episcopalian–and back in Sisters, I was–but mainly because I thought it was so cool that they seemed to have no qualms about drinking. As soon as I saw a thing in the bulletin about a beer and chili feed, I thought–these are my kind of Christians. Ha. But they were wonderful for many other reasons, too. And wouldn’t you know–it was their basement where the recovery meetings were held. I sure miss you Linda Pie. Thanks for responding to today’s post. Hugs, H
I’m missing out cuz I can’t imbibe alcohol due to migraines. The 1st time I took Communion in an Episcopal church in Arizona, I was shocked–shocked–to learn they used real (bad) wine and a single germy chalice. My church serves wine in various degfrees of awfulness, but you can dip your wafer if you don’t drink. Which I do. Don’t drink, I mean.
Amen, Heather!….. What would Jesus do???? Simple answer: LOVE.
( Here’s another powerful look at acceptance that was just posted today as well! weird… http://www.bostern.com/ )
Jane, oh thank you for this. Thank you. And pray if you will for those readers who are upset by this post and disappointed in me.
LOVED this post! I think it’s sad that the one place on earth people should go for grace is the last place they feel like they can go. Christians need to put down the gavel. It’s God’s place to judge, not mine. And the more I learn about Jesus, the more questions I have. The ONE thing I know for certain is we’re created to LOVE. If we read in the Bible that ANYONE, even a half-breed with 5 husbands & a thief dying on a cross with no chance to do any good with his life, is welcome into God’s kingdom, then why can’t Christians wrap their brains around loving homosexuals? With Jesus, the person was ALWAYS more important than any category or label. It saddens me when people I know condem gays and want to take away their rights, yet they’ve been divorced, or cheated on their spouse, or ____ (insert ANY sin here, we’ve all done it and fallen short of the glory of God). Divorce especially is a huge problem in America, yet you don’t see politics trying to make that illegal or Chick Fil-A speaking out on divorce policies, and yet Jesus mentions divorce in that same sentence in the Bible. Jesus’ love should cut across lines, not draw them in the the sand. Jesus honored the dignity of people and loved them whether he agreed with them or not, and so I end with the cliche, WWJD? Thank you soooo much for this post, Heather!
Jamie, thanks so much for this. Of course I agree with what you’re saying here. Thanks so much for saying it so well! This is a GREAT COMMENT!
“But here it is, January, and I’m more than ready to tell you that I no longer believe that people choose to be gay. I don’t think gay folks are going to hell. I don’t believe that being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transsexual can separate us from the love of God in Christ any more than alcohol can.”
This makes me teary in a “why can’t we be kinder to each other” kind of way. I’ll read his book and substitute depression. I haven’t been able to take it to the alter and walk away healed, I figured because I wasn’t Christian enough. I get the self-disgust, secrecy and desperation, especially after reading this week about the 65-year-old pastor’s wife in Texas who killed herself four days after Christmas. Strange how it doesn’t matter what it is, it matters that it’s ours and we hate ourselves for it.
Bless all of us who are human and trying to get over it instead of accept it.
Kim, I appreciate this comment so much. I totally get the substituting depression idea. And I agree we all struggle with something. I think so many Christians do suffer in silence and secrecy from things that they feel they shouldn’t. We all need so much mercy. Thanks for piping up here today.
I love the word mercy.
The Bible is clear that addiction, getting drunk, and being gay is a sin.
If I decide I’m addicted to romance and I just can’t control myself, should I find a church that welcomes me even though I’m regularly promiscuous and adulterous?
Perhaps I misunderstood your post? It sounds like grace is being used to say, “If you can’t control yourself, it’s okay, Jesus loves you.”
Yes, Jesus DOES love you but every single sinner He encountered in the Bible who chose to follow Him TURNED FROM THEIR SIN—the tax collector, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery…
The body of Christ is told to hold each other accountable to God’s holy standards.
Why does it sound like you’re saying grace means we tolerate sin in the name of Jesus? That’s not why He died! He didn’t die a horrific, agonizing death so we could sin without punishment! He died so we could be FREE from it, TURN from it!
I do so hope my brain just grossly misunderstood your post. I’m in shock right now.
You can love someone for who they are without condoning what they do, as I’m sure you’ve experienced with your loved ones who fall back into alcoholism. Mind you, “being” a recovered alcoholic and “being” gay but not acting on it is not sin. But the ACT of getting drunk is sin and the act of sex with the same gender is sin. “Tolerance” is not Who Jesus is. He loves us in our sin WHILE CALLING US OUT OF IT. To leave that last part off is to leave souls in a very dangerous limbo; you cannot serve two masters. You cannot love Jesus and love sin. You must forsake one or the other. It is a lie from the pits of Hell to think one can live in sin while following Jesus and a lie that will cause many people to end up there, completely unaware that’s where they were headed.
Okay, now I get what you’re talking about. I would like to read the book, because i think it says exactly how I have always felt. I’ve had a lot of homosexual friends and family members, and I am brokenhearted to have lost two to illness from their lifestyles, and have been in anguish over a friend who is being destroyed by AIDS. Others have lives of pain from their choices. What you’re saying is that temptation is NOT sin. If I were single, I couldn’t have sex and walk in close communion with God, but even as a married woman, if I found myself to be strongly attracted to another man, convinced I loved him and that we were right for each other, to act on that “feeling” would be sin. I would be strong and accept that I had those attractions, but not act on them. In fact, that’s exactly how I got started in my present career–by sublimating my desire into something constructive and good. God truly blesses that.
Fae, I’m so sorry to shock you. You are such a special reader and friend to me and fellow blogger who loves the Lord. I don’t think you grossly misunderstood me, but perhaps you did. If you took my post to mean that I don’t care about sin, that’s not what I was saying. The reality is that TONS of good Jesus-loving Christians share a different view on the topic of gays than most conservative evangelicals do. It’s not about a lack of loving God so much as it is an idea of how a Christian lives and loves–and probably, too, it’s rooted in an approach to the Bible that isn’t the same as yours. I used to feel exactly like you do and I would have responded to this post EXACTLY like you. That feeling of discovering someone you like “plays” for the wrong team, or so it seems. But the truth is that I am not a conservative, evangelical Christian in the traditional sense–and thank goodness, I don’t have to be to be a Christian. Here’s what I hope. That you’ll just be open to the idea that we don’t agree on every issue–socially, politically, etc–but that we can still love and honor one-another in Christ. You might check out Rachel Held Evan’s blog post about this issue and you might consider reading Justin’s book. Hope I’ll keep seeing you here, Fae. I respect you and enjoy your heart and blog so much, H
This isn’t about agreeing on social issues; this is about agreeing with God. Jesus said we would know each other by our fruits and I’m trying to determine if your my sister or someone I should be sharing the gospel with.
I say that tongue-in-cheek but I’m serious.
Do you agree with God that homosexuality is sin?
Do you agree with God that true faith in His Son involves repentance of sin, turning away, putting off the old man and striving for the new? (Striving means hard, hard work, failing at times but never giving up.)
Do you agree with God that you can’t serve both sin and Jesus?
If you agree with God on these things, then you are my sister. If you don’t, then I would encourage you to put down the books and pick up God’s Word. Please, please don’t let the enemy steal truth from you! I feel like I sound elitist but I don’t FEEL superior at all nor do I mean to sound that way. I am just…..totally blind-sided by the possibility that we don’t share the same faith in Jesus. But perhaps we don’t. Perhaps a lesson for me…..
Fae,
I hear you. I can only assure of a few things. I believe God sent his Son Jesus into the world to die for the sins of mankind. I asked Jesus to be my Savior when I was a teen and I’ve been on a journey with Him ever since. But I think I believe that what Jesus accomplished on the cross extends further than perhaps you do. And I think my approach to the Bible is probably radically different, as well. I am one of those people who spent too many years working super hard to be “right,” to dot all the i’s in my doctrine, to know the truth and be able to argue it. But I didn’t have love and I let this or that verse or interpretation or school of thought dictate my course instead of love. I don’t care about theology the way I used to, and I avoid getting arguments about Scripture, because I don’t like to use God’s word that way. I no longer hang my hat on being right, but on being loving. I believe the basic same things you do regarding Jesus, his birth, his death, his life, his love, his grace. But there’s a way of interpreting all of that I can’t align myself with any more. I think you are my sister in Christ, Fae, even if you decide that I’m not yours. If I am not your sister in Christ, then there are huge, entire branches of Christ’s church that you are hacking off and saying they don’t belong because they view the Christian faith differently than you. I know I’m probably making you screaming mad. I am so sorry. Arriving where I am today has been a long, sweet journey of letting go of what I thought I knew about God in order to come to know God in a way that matches what my heart tells me is true about him. For years, I didn’t live that way. I didn’t know there was another way, another Christian faith path that was equally valid and good and that embraced mystery and questions and a God that was big enough to love this whole entire world. The wonderful thing is that I am finally able to trust God with my salvation, with my soul, with my life–all of it. Not a particular school of theology or doctrine. The only verse I’m willing to quote right now is this one: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7.
Fae, you have done me such a great service by asking these questions. Trust me, you are not the only one! Even though lots of readers are piping up to say they agree, I know that you represent a large block of Christians, probably most of them evangelicals and conservatives, who would agree with every point you make and who are also upset and disillusioned and even sick with worry for me. I knew that was a risk I was taking. I so hope that you will be able to consider that I might actually love God as much as you and that I care about spreading his message of grace and forgiveness, too.
I am not even remotely screaming mad. I am REALLY sad, because I think your focus on “love” is taking away from “truth”, which is equally important, and people WILL go to Hell because they were deceived into thinking they believed the truth. (I do not think you are one of these people, for what it’s worth; I DO think you have a lot of these people reading your blog.)
I’m not concerned with “being right”; I’m concerned with PERSONALLY agreeing with God and I’m concerned with teaching others the truth of His Word. I don’t argue; once the truth is laid out, the rest is the between that person and the Holy Spirit. I am only His instrument and I’m loathe to go beyond that (although I certainly do sometimes!). The fact is, it’s not MY job to save the world or to make other believers walk a certain way. It’s just my job to teach the words of God and hold my siblings in Christ accountable. The change is God’s job.
With that said, I think I’ve done that here, the best that I can. I agree with you that many, many conservative Christians err so far on the side of truth, that their pride gets in the way and erodes any love that might have originally been behind their intentions.
On the flip side, there are Christians who err so far on the side of love, that truth slips through the cracks.
Mind you, BOTH extremes will be responsible for people ending up in hell. The one side causes people to hate Jesus and Christians because they can’t see through to the love; the other side causes people to never fully embrace Jesus’ sacrifice for their sin because they think receiving His love is enough. There is a balance between those two, and I believe that balance is attained by DAILY studying God’s word and living it.
Please don’t let your desire to show Christ’s love negate the powerful impact of His truth; people will get angry with us for agreeing with His bottom-lines, but GOD is BIGGER than their disdain! You and I are not called to make the gospel palatable; we’re called to simply go out and preach it — all of it. The Holy Spirit will get through to the ones who are ripe for harvest.
The Bible says that Jesus took the punishment for our sins; we are clothed in HIS righteousness through faith in Him; we are to work our salvation OUT with fear and trembling (this leaves no room for walking around in deliberate sin!); and He is faithful to complete what He has started in us until the day of Christ’s return.
It sounds like you’re teaching that a person can embrace homosexuality AND walk with Christ. That is simply not true and I’d encourage you to find scripture that would back that up. Paul tells us to DISASSOCIATE with people who call themselves believers but engage in sexual immorality. There is NO WAY to interpret those scriptures differently! You either have to admit they’re true or turn a total blind eye to them.
I never hack branches; that’s God’s job on the day of reckoning, and there WILL be branches hacked that even *I* will probably be shocked to see getting hacked. Neither would I have disassociated with you if I discovered you weren’t my sister in Christ.
I would have prayed for you differently and I would have stuck around for the sheer purpose of pouring as much of His truth into your life as I could! However, I do believe you’re my sister in Christ; I also believe you’re misapplying some of God’s truths and possibly ignoring others.
May the BOTH of us be open and surrendered to God working His truth and ways into our beings.
Thanks, Sister. I appreciate your careful response. We come from very different points of view and I totally recognize yours. I don’t pretend to be “teaching” anything here. But you’re right that I am advocating a position and attitude toward gays that many Christians take issue with, while others wholeheartedly embrace. I am grateful for the loving tone of your words, Fae. I think you’re really reaching for respect despite your strong feelings on this topic and your very sincere concern for my position. I so appreciate that. We have so much we can agree on, Fae. And so let’s stick with that and we can each pray for the other to have her eyes opened.:) Deal? Hugs. H
Hugs to you, too, Heather.
Please read the book. I bought it the day it was released. Having been raised in a wonderful, Pentecostal Pastor’s home, I was pretty sure had my theology written in stone. What I’ve discovered in my 40′s is that God is God. He simply cannot be boxed in by a denomination’s indoctrination of their particular belief system. I have family members who are gay, as well as many friends. This book contained marvelous reviews by both liberal and ultra-conservitive Christians. As Heater stated, Justin is not trying to win the readers over to his side. He’s simply telling his story with the conclusions he discovered after a lifetime of reading and research. Your sweet spirit resonates with me. The only thing I would ask is that you please read “Torn” before writing it off as just another attempt to justify “sin”. What you will see is a precious soul striving to know him Creator. I know I was profoundly moved by the humility in which Justin told his story.
” Yes, Jesus DOES love you but every single sinner He encountered in the Bible who chose to follow Him TURNED FROM THEIR SIN—the tax collector, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery…”
As if I could turn away… My sexuality is an intrinsic part of me. There’s been no choice, no conversion, nor any coercion. It’s not a lifestyle, a belief system, or rebelliousness. I was born gay and I will die gay. I could no more stop being gay than you could cease being woman. I want the same from life as any other. A place of security. A sense of belonging. Opportunity to grow. A committed partner in life. I want a community that accepts me as I am. I yearn to be loved unreservedly. Both by my God and church.
If homosexuality is defined by sexual activity; where is the line drawn? What affections between partners are free of sin? If acceptability is defined by desire or thought what becomes of my world? Am I to spend a life repressing all that I am? Am I to spend all my days in celibacy; will that satisfy judgement? Or was I condemned to hell the day I was born?
I KNEW there was a reason I loved you! Turns out its because we’re both bald gay men. But seriously, friend, this is a wonderful post. Tolerance, for some weird reason, is a word often left out of the discussion of faith and spirituality so thanks for bringing up this book (ordering it!) and reminding me that love, regardless of religion or belief is always the answer. xo, Sean
Sean, I didn’t even think of you when I wrote that post–but I should HAVE! You’re right. Now we’re both bald and gay. I am so grateful for you showing up here on my blog. I don’t want to make you my “token” gay-recovering-blogging friend, but you are the only one who fits all three categories. And I just love you. Hugs.
Love this. Isn’t it interesting that “be real” also means being rather bold and risking backlash? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Great post and glad you can be another voice of sanity.
Charise, I can’t tell you how much it means to have you pipe up. Yikes. You’re right about the backlash, it looks like. I knew I might upset some people and be misunderstood. My hope is that readers who liked me last week will still like me this week even if we don’t agree on the gay issue. Isn’t it amazing how loving Christians can stand on such opposite sides of an issue. You call me a voice of sanity and a couple comments down, I’ve come off as anything but. I hope love and grace are big enough.
I love your writing and your grace-filled journey. Your story, your sincerity, your insight have moved me to tears on occasion. Especially when you talk about your son.
This post was painful for me. It seems our culture is determined to separate sex from morality — then to congratulate itself for doing so.
But, should we really be surprised that those of us struggling with sin feel crushed under the weight of it? “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Gal 5:7. This is literally an eternal life-and-death conflict — one unlikely to be close to easy, let alone short — with perseverance needed to the end (along with a hearty dose of constant grace).
Thanks for listening, and thanks for the blessing that is your blog.
Jeff, what a great response–even though you clearly disagree. I appreciate it so much. I think your comment about separating sex from morality is a good point, but it doesn’t go to the gay issue for me so much as our society’s general inability to honor sex as a powerful gift meant to be expressed in the context of love. I totally understand your position, because it used to be mine. And I respect your willingness to share it here. Thank you, thank you!
A very thought-provoking blog. I, too, wished and prayed ceaselessly for a miracle healing for my afflictions/addictions and when that didn’t come, I gave up for a long time on my faith and on me. What happened, what changed? I honestly don’t know. I still struggle, yet I am better. My faith is stronger, and I am “weller” not healed but better.
I do have problems with the whole gay issue. For years, before my so-called conversion, I had lots of gay friends. Then I “saw the light” and the pendulum swung to the other extreme. Now, it has fallen someplace in the middle where it wobbles a bit from side to side without ever coming to rest. I don’t hate or dislike gay people, I just don’t understand. I don’t shun them and I accept them, but I don’t understand the why of who they are. I guess my big question is: If their lifestyle is not a choice but given by God then why so many Scriptures that “appear” to condemn it? If I could get that question settled then my pendulum could also come to rest.
Sweet Nancy, you comment is so beautifully honest. I love that you are willing to admit it’s hard for you. A book like Justin’s is perfect for you, because he really understand and honors that struggle with Scripture. You should read it! So enlightening on this topic. Thanks so much for sharing here. H
I was quite struck by this post and esp by the part “Imagine his shock when he wakes up to these two truths: One, that he’s gay. Two, that his very own tightly-held belief system condemns him.” This may be a lame example, but I am a big Harry Potter fan and one of the key parts of the book is when the evil Voldemort, in a desperate effort at immortality, breaks off parts of himself and hides them where (he hopes) they can never be found or destroyed, so that some part of him will always remain alive. But this breaking-off can only happen when he kills someone — and the whole process is portrayed in the book as so unspeakably evil it is hard to find someone who will even talk about it. This seems like a very powerful metaphor to me, and it came to mind when I read the quote above. Surely God does not want us to be split in this way. Surely the greatest evil we can do to ourselves (or force others to do) is divide ourselves and attempt to hide parts of ourselves in order to have life. I really feel that God wants us to be whole and that He uses and redeems all aspects of our selves, even the parts we may think do not fit.
Anyway this is kind of rambly but I really appreciated this post and am very interested in reading the book & hearing more about Justin’s story.
Jeannie, this isn’t rambly, it’s right on the money. I love the metaphor! Thanks so much for sharing here today. It means a lot to me. Hugs, Heather
Of course I agree…and I thought I went to an open and inclusive church…until I found out they didn’t allow a gay man to be in a position of leadership. But they don’t allow women to be in positions of leadership so I shouldn’t have been surprised. “Inclusive” has it’s limitations, right?
My pastor, who I believe to be a very thoughtful man, seems to base his decision on whether or not a scientific proof has been made for someone being “born” gay. At least he’s not beating people with the Bible I guess. Of course Jesus sacrifice was for homosexuals as much as for me. Of course there are effective and loving leaders for us who are homosexual. Some of us are going to be shocked when we get to heaven. I think I will send this book to my pastor! Hah! what a good idea!
I’ve been faithfully reading your posts and praying for you…but feel kind of like God at times…checking in but doing it silently. We’ve been out in the NW caring for my parents for the past month. Things are settling in now and it feels luxurious to sit with coffee and my laptop and read you…and write back.
Christine, so cool to hear from you! I envy you being in the NW, but caring for parents sounds challenging. Hope all is okay. I am so glad to know you’re out there reading, and it’s okay if you’re quiet. I appreciate your comment here and isn’t it interesting where/how we all find different places to draw lines so far as love and tolerance. Dave saw a funny bumper sticker the other day that simply said: “Hey, do I get to vote on your marriage?” Funny.
I knew you were and are amazing….
Awww.
Thanks, Heather, for bringing up this book! I read it a couple of months ago after I saw Rachel Held Evans’s review. Her words piqued my curiosity:
“First, I read it and loved it.
Then, I loaned it to Dan, and he read it and loved it.
Then, I loaned it to my parents, and they read it and loved it.
And the book hadn’t even been released yet!”
Justin’s love for scripture and willingness to do whatever it took to be a disciple of Christ moved me to tears. His transparency and honesty as well as courage in dealing with well-meaning, albeit mislead Christians puts him in the category of ‘hero’ for me.
And you’re right. How he describes his quest for peace mirrors that of the many journeys traveled in 12-step rooms. I, too, find myself struggling as a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. Lee just showed us how God loves all pegs, round or square.
Love this comment and Rachel’s endorsement is so cool. I just love her. Thanks, Robin
Yay! I love your honesty and not just because I agree with you. I will definitely check out his book. I welcome anything into my life that celebrates inclusion and God’s love.
Cool, Karen! Thanks for taking time to chime in.
Heather, this is another lovely post. My sister just marched in an Equality Walk in Washington DC yesterday. I have believed for very long that she was born gay and is as deserving of God’s love and Grace as we all are! xo Joanne
PS. for some reason, your posts have not shown up in my “reader” feed lately. They show up in my email box because I am an email subscriber of yours. Not sure if the problem is on my end, but just wanted to mention this to you.
Joanne, I’ll have to check on the reader thing. Is that the wordpress reader you’re talking about? Thanks for the encouraging comment.
I just checked and now you are there! Yay!
“I no longer believe that people choose to be gay. I don’t think gay folks are going to hell. I don’t believe that being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transsexual can separate us from the love of God in Christ”
Amen, Sister.
Amen back atcha.
If I’d known a Christian like you I might not be Pagan!
My sexual orientation was wrong and the entity that saved my life (A.A.) was a cult. That’s what I was told. Not a lot of acceptance there. So I chose life.
Marjie, your two comments here made my day, and it’s only 8:30 am. Thank you so much. I am so glad you chose life!
This is interesting,.
Over Thanksgiving, while, traveling to CO to see family, I learned that my sister’s husband, of 20 years, had come out to her – no one else at this time, but to her. He treasures his relationship with their only child, a teenage girl. He, too grew up with a strong faith, attended a Christian college and alway active in church.
He does not know I know and I’ve no idea where they will go from here, but this is the first time it “touched me personally” – I must confess, my stance has been shifted. I won’t say changed, but I embrace anyone who enters our church and I hope my church family does the same. Rural MN has been known to harbor self-righteous bigots – nuff said
I plan on getting the book and passing it on to my sister. Thanks for this timely share
Love your open heart. Everything changes when an issue turns out be a beloved human being.tks for commenting here!