Sometime ago, a girl went to the park
with her little brother, wondering about the wisdom of taking him for a horse
ride on his fifth birthday — especially since she hadn’t been on a horse over
ten years.
She gripped the neck of the horse for
her dear life, while her brother rode with a more experienced friend.
A guy laughed at her clumsiness. “First
time out on a horse?”
He was about her height, stocky, with a
purple streak in his hair, purple nail polish, and purple gauges in his ears.
He had an easy-going smile. “I’ve already fallen six times, girl. You’re doing
good.”
This girl didn’t know when she grinned
back at him, and accepted his outstretched hand, that he would tell her what he
did.
As they stumbled their way on the horse,
he told her about being raised and shunned in a small town in Nigeria, being
kicked out of school and out of his church, moving to work on his singing
career, all the while dealing with “the pressure of being different” — “being
gay.”
“I believe in God,” he said, “but I
don’t like who he’s made me and what he does to me. I believe in the Bible, but
not the parts that have nasty things to say about people like me. People think
gays are happy and confident all the time, but most of the time, I’m sad. Most
of the time, I’m lonely.”
“We’re all born a little sad,” she said,
smiling, “all a little lonely.”
“I’ve never met anyone so kind in such a
long time,” he said. “You’re different from most people.”
This girl began to give an explanation
for her peculiarity: Jesus, by his love, had changed her life. He became the
first stranger she ever told about Jesus so clearly. And she became the first
person he’d met all day who hadn’t sneered at him for being so expressively
different.
“I just want to be loved,” he told her.
The afternoon ended two hours later with
the girl explaining, “You know, I believe what the Bible says about
homosexuality, and I’m passionate about believing what the Bible says —”
“Fair enough,” he interjected with
a half smile.
“ — But it was so good to meet you, to
hear your story, to remember, as much as both sides can seem to vilify one
another, that there are real people on both sides of this issue. Is there any
way I could be praying for you?”
“Why do you want to pray for me?” he
asked.
Incredulity filled his eyes: “But why?”
“Because Jesus loves me. In spite of me,
Jesus loved me, and he saved me! And he has changed me, lavished his love on
me, and from that I can love others. I can love you. I know you’ve probably
heard it a thousand times.”
“Actually, no one I’ve ever just met has
told me that they love me, and I’ve met plenty of Christians. They tell me that
I’m going to hell that I’m disgusting, and they try to get away from me. But
here you are . . . letting me hold your hand.”
“Because I know you need his love. We
all do. We need him. And I get to be here with you to tell you about him.”
The story doesn’t end with the boy on
the horse coming to Jesus in a dramatic moment. Once the horse riding was over,
they both went their separate ways. But the story changed me. In a moment, I
thought many would typically be too uncomfortable to speak, distracted by their
sheltered life and unsure of what to say, God can help you share his love.
Sometimes
we can get so bogged down in the issues that we forget that all issues belong
to people — hurting people, lost people,
disoriented people, and confused people. People just like us before Jesus
stepped into our lives (1 Corinthians 6:11).
During
this past week, I asked on my BBM pm –Is Homosexuality an illness or an
illusion?? Personally, I really don’t know which because I can’t just imagine
it. However, a friend on twitter said Homosexuality is just preference
disorientation, whichever it is-Homosexuals are HUMAN. Humans created by GOD
and should be treated with love.
Reading Roman
1: 24-32 gave me a direct punch that homosexuality is a sin, no doubt!
Homosexuality was as widespread in Paul’s days and even more 2000years ago, as
it is now. Homosexuality is rejecting God and God allows them to continue
because He has given us the power of choice. He lets us declare our supposed
independence from him, even though he knows that in time we will become slaves
to our own rebellious choices. People tend to believe lies that reinforce their
own selfish personal beliefs. Homosexuality is considered an acceptable
practice by many in our world today-even by some churches. But society does not
set the standard for God’s law.
Now that we know homosexuality is neither a normal nor a
healthy lifestyle nor a godly life then the most loving thing we can do is to
help homosexuals realize this and offer them our help and encouragement rather
than abusing or judging them. Who are you to judge or abuse them? Even God gave
them over to their sinful desires. He couldn’t do anything, however He still
loves them and want them to realize their foolishness themselves. God gives people over so that they will
experience the ruin of their sin and call out to him for salvation. It is the Christian’s task to point
out that while homosexuality is a sin, we are all sinners and there is
forgiveness and deliverance for all who turn to Jesus Christ. Homosexuality is
‘a behavior, not a condition,’ and something that some people can and do
change, just like they sometimes change other tastes and personality traits.
They need our love and explanation of the love of God concerning them. You
would be amazed so many homosexuals are doing great, however they lack the core
love and purpose of God upon them. Let us show them the way. Reach the heart
before the hand. LOVE is the key.
Jackie Brooklyn
Jackie Brooklyn
