"I'm not sure there’s anything worse
than causing those whom God loves, to question whether God loves them."
There's
so many articles and blog posts going around about the whole Caitlyn Jenner
thing. And I'm not here to say whether it's right or wrong, just to share how
in my own opinion, I think we as followers of Jesus can react. Not only to
Bruce, now Caitlyn, but to the LGBT community in general.
I think we are called to love them. “A new command I give you: Love
one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another.” {John 13:34-35}
So even if we see it as sin or disagree with their decisions, we are still
called to love these people. The verse doesn’t include, “UNLESS THEY ARE TRANS
OR GAY, THEN YOU DON’T HAVE TO.” That includes their good deeds, sins,
accomplishments, flaws, great personality traits, and shortcomings. Love
them as they are, ya know? This includes Caitlyn Jenner. It includes me.
It includes you.
"For God so loved
the world (Caitlyn Jenner) that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." {John 3:16}
God doesn't exclude anyone. He didn’t exclude Zacchaeus the tax
collector, Rahab the prostitute, or the woman caught in adultery. The list
goes on.. He also didn't exclude me. The selfish, prideful,
gossiping, sinning, and most times, unfaithful person that I am. When Jesus went
to the cross, He saw all I am and all I ever will be, and still chose to die
for me. I am so blessed that He doesn’t love me based off my decisions, because
I would have been forgotten a long time ago. I have a feeling most of us would
have.
Let’s
shift the topic a little bit, to the reason I feel the need to post this blog
in the first place. The reason I think we are called to love
everyone... Let’s talk about the rate of suicide among transgender youth
and adults in our country. The numbers are sobering. As are the staggering
numbers of homeless youth who come out to their parents, and instead of being
comforted and supported, find themselves on the streets. Let’s talk about them.
Because every time a celebrity—whether you think their fame is deserved or
not—comes out, the road gets a little easier for those kids, and those
adults. According to surveys,
4.6 percent of the overall U.S. population has self-reported a suicide attempt,
with that number climbing to between 10 and 20 percent for lesbian, gay or
bisexual respondents. By comparison, 41 percent of trans or gender
nonconforming people surveyed have attempted suicide.. Isn't this
heartbreaking? Some of you may know, but for those of you who don't, I myself
attempted suicide when I was in high school. Though my reasons may have been
different, I was still broken, and I could and still can identify with the LGTB
community who have been through this. When you're at that point, when you feel
so lonely and hurt, you don't need more reasons (from people, the media,
society, etc) to make you feel unloved, unwanted, like that is your only option
out of it all. You need love, grace, mercy, kindness, support, etc. You need a
community of people who want to help lift you up out of your darkness.
Will you join me in
changing how we as Christians treat those around us, including the LGBT
community? Because the reality of all of this is that every. single.
one. of us sins. None of us are short of this disease. But God still wakes us
up every day, still loves us, and still makes His mercies new for us each
morning. He loves us despite of what the world says about us, and how society
says people should treat us. We worship a God who looks past all of it. He asks
that we do the same for His people, no matter who they are.
How can you love someone better today?
