Last night I had the great privilege of visiting the past. And the past has grown into a charming and talented young man!
I was in the audience of a performance where the lead vocalist and entertainer happened to be a "kid" (He was about 11 years old at the time; he's now well into his 20s) with whom I had sung in a church-based a-capella group over a decade ago.
Brilliantly talented and clearly gay (though not out) even then, my young friend was not growing up in an LGBT-friendly environment. His own true self was accepted neither at home nor at church, and eventually, he fell away from the latter.
As I watched this flamboyant and amazingly gifted young man OWN the room last night, I reflected on how lucky I had been to be surrounded by at least a few people of faith who -- as I was facing one of the most difficult challenges of my life -- had acted as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. Instead of turning away from God, coming out has been, for me, a process that has brought me closer to my Abba than I could ever have imagined possible.
The "God-as-father" notion of the Christian church (and indeed, the patriarchal perspective of many faiths) can be especially challenging to those of us pondering our sexuality and struggling to understand how God could make us "this way". Despite my own good fortune, I'll also had my share of interactions with "crucifiers", those who refuse to consider that their long-held and rarely-questions views on Scripture might not be the only "right" interpretations, and who thereby crush the souls of fellow journeyers along the path.
So, on this Father's Day Sunday, I offer this list of GOOD NEWS websites from Alex Sanchez, man of faith, and author of the amazingly inspiring "God Box", a novel aimed at young adults, which I have recently begun to read.
For those of you unsure, know that God loves you just as He made you: YOU ARE HIS CHILD!!!
Happy Father's Day, my little gay friends!
I was in the audience of a performance where the lead vocalist and entertainer happened to be a "kid" (He was about 11 years old at the time; he's now well into his 20s) with whom I had sung in a church-based a-capella group over a decade ago.
Brilliantly talented and clearly gay (though not out) even then, my young friend was not growing up in an LGBT-friendly environment. His own true self was accepted neither at home nor at church, and eventually, he fell away from the latter.
As I watched this flamboyant and amazingly gifted young man OWN the room last night, I reflected on how lucky I had been to be surrounded by at least a few people of faith who -- as I was facing one of the most difficult challenges of my life -- had acted as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. Instead of turning away from God, coming out has been, for me, a process that has brought me closer to my Abba than I could ever have imagined possible.
The "God-as-father" notion of the Christian church (and indeed, the patriarchal perspective of many faiths) can be especially challenging to those of us pondering our sexuality and struggling to understand how God could make us "this way". Despite my own good fortune, I'll also had my share of interactions with "crucifiers", those who refuse to consider that their long-held and rarely-questions views on Scripture might not be the only "right" interpretations, and who thereby crush the souls of fellow journeyers along the path.
So, on this Father's Day Sunday, I offer this list of GOOD NEWS websites from Alex Sanchez, man of faith, and author of the amazingly inspiring "God Box", a novel aimed at young adults, which I have recently begun to read.
For those of you unsure, know that God loves you just as He made you: YOU ARE HIS CHILD!!!
Happy Father's Day, my little gay friends!
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