From the Author…
I was a typical “conservative evangelical” with a “benign” but negative opinion of homosexuality until I adopted a son who is gay. Suddenly I found myself on a journey to discover what the Bible really says about same sex relations, and how the scriptures apply to all people, not just heterosexuals. Mel White’s book was one of several that I read that opened my eyes to the reality of being gay. I became convinced that the church is not only missing an opportunity to minister to a whole segment of the world’s population, but is, perhaps unwittingly, driving people away and sending a negative message to those who most need hope. The current epidemic of teen suicides is also something that should deeply concern us as Christians and as parents. GAY? Love like Jesus is for believers who need to find a new paradigm through which to view the whole issue of LGBT orientation. I’d love to send you a copy or copies of this book for your review and possible inclusion in your list of resources. Following is the summary of the book from the back cover:
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“Christians, love like Jesus?? According to the gay community, we’re mostly a far cry from that. And why should we care? Because Jesus, whom we claim to follow, told us that loving God and loving our neighbors, in all their diversity, is what He wants us to do. Something is wrong when ‘following scripture’ leads us to reject the people next door instead of loving them. It’s time we re-examine what the Bible says, and look again at how we, as individuals and as the church, relate to LGBT persons.
There is an epidemic of suicides going on right now that the church has yet to address. Every day, 11 children, teens and young adults take their own lives. Too frequently, it is because they are bullied because they are, or are thought to be gay. Unwittingly, Christians can fuel the negative power of ‘gay’ by rhetoric and rejection unsupported by the Bible.
Surprisingly, evangelical Christians and LGBT advocates have something very important in common ~ their love for and concern about children and teens, at a time when children are desperate for all the support they can find. But the shouting matches between opposing views can obliterate the commonality that we, along with our children, so badly need.
As Christians, we must take the first steps toward bringing about reconciliation. ‘Loving our neighbors’ requires it, and the daily deaths of our children demands it. What does ‘being gay’ mean, and what does the Bible actually have to say about it? Knee-jerk reactions and cliché answers no longer work. As Christians, we are driving our own children from our families and gays from the doors of our churches.
Together, as parents, as advocates for all our children, and as responsible adults, we can find acceptable compromises and workable programs to stop bullying and hate. United, we can offer all our children the support, hope and love they so need. It’s time for us to break the silence about ‘gay.’ (From the book cover.)
