Thanks for your support …

A reader writes …

I just want to say thank you for your support for the LGBT community. As one who is trying to follow Christ and is homosexual, church is often one of the scariest places to be. I am currently trying to find a church where I can belong and serve. God gave me wonderful opportunities in the past to teach and be in leadership. Now that I’ve finally been honest with myself about who I am, finding a place to be in community with others, use the gifts God has given and be authentic has not been an easy task. Your voice and others give me hope for our LGBT brothers and sisters. Thank you and God bless you.

Thanks for your note and your encouragement. Thankfully, more and more churches are repenting of their prejudice and opening up to better ways of interpreting and applying the Bible to issues of sexuality. I hear from more and more pastors who tell me that they know they and their congregations are moving into new territory in their inclusion of people who were formerly excluded: it’s no longer a matter of what or why but of how and when. Even among hardcore opponents, there are small signs of repentance. Still, we have a long way to go, and notes like this one remind us all that we aren’t just dealing with “issues” or “controversies,” but real people whom God so loves.