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If you are new my blog or do not know me personally, you might not know a critical part of my own journey. While in high school I came to the realization that much of my sexual attraction was for the same-sex. Most of you will know that I am also happily married to a beautiful woman who I love with all my heart and who is the object of my desire- that is, I think my wife is the sexiest person on the planet. With that being said, it might be easy for many people to assume that, through the intervention of God (through whatever means one imagine), I have been “healed”, “freed” and/or “changed” from my same-sex attraction. This would be a false assumption.
In truth, my sexual orientation has not changed since high school. If you noticed, I said that much of my attraction was for men, but not my only attraction. I have always had a strong sexual attraction for both genders. I think this is important to state for a couple of reasons. First, my marriage is not a sham that I took on to convince myself or others that I was “normal”. I did not choose my wife because I denied myself the option of men. I choose my wife because I loved her and wanted to spend the rest of my life building a family together.
Second, from all my experience, relationships and years of research (from sources across the board), I firmly reject efforts made to “repair” or reverse someones sexual orientation. This says nothing about what I believe about whether I am affirming of same-sex relationships or not, only that those efforts have been proven futile and damaging, and therefore want to be very clear that no such reparation occurred in my life.
Recently, a friend in very much the same situation as me wrote me an email and asked me a question I wasn’t prepared for. He asked:
“Jamie, do you identify as gay?”
His question has stuck with me ever since, as the issue of terminology with respect to sexuality and specifically same-sex attraction is one which the Christian community is largely floundering over. What does it really mean for a person to say, “I am gay”? For many of my friends, this is an easy question to answer, but interestingly, despite how obvious the answer is to those friend, many of them come to a entirely different answer. Let me explain.
For gay friends, both Christian and otherwise (and a few straight Christian friends), to be gay means to be attracted to the same-sex.
For most of my straight Christian friends, to be gay means to not only be attracted to the same-sex, but to affirm and participate in same-sex sexual relationships.
So which is it? Recently, this topic came up on an intense (and somewhat controversial) panel discussion at the Gay Christian Network conference. Justin Lee, executive director of GCN said (see full video here):
“In most of the world- certainly in most of America, and certainly for folk in my generation and younger- we’ve grown up in a world where ‘gay’ means one thing and that is ‘a person who is attracted to the same sex’.”
My friend Wendy Gritter, executive director of New Direction Ministries of Canada, was also on the panel and added:
“If indeed the term ‘gay’, in our broader culture, is received as descriptive and not an all-encompassing identity, by encouraging people to not describe themselves as gay, isn’t that inherently encouraging a lack of honesty and self-acceptance of the reality of same-sex attraction?”
These two comments reflect well the stance that most of my gay Christian friends hold, as well as some of straight Christian friends. However, anyone who have grown up in the wider evangelical community in North America will realize that such positions run contrary to most of the understandings and assumptions with the church. For example, another panelist, Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International (a ministry which describes itself as “the world’s largest ministry to individuals and families impacted by homosexuality”), recently wrote the following for Charisma magazine:
“Celibacy is the godly option for all single men and women. Yet today, while many Christians with same-sex attractions are choosing celibacy, they’re also opting to keep the gay identity/label. This falls short of God’s best because identity matters. How we view and refer to ourselves is very important.”
For Alan, as well as most Christians I’ve encountered in the wider church, it seems that to refer to oneself as gay is to accept it as an identity defining. This position has fueled the assumption among many Christians that to identify oneself as gay was to affirm the orientation and therefore be willing to participate in the “gay lifestyle”. They take exception to statements like the ones that Justin and Wendy made, claiming that the word does, in fact, mean what their understanding affirms. However, dictionary definitions do little to help the discussion, with some leaning towards one side of this argument, some to the other, while still others that affirm both.
(As a brief, but critical aside, let me encourage those who are unaware that, for the most part, referring to a gay person as a “homosexual” is not generally appropriate. The term has come to be a derogatory expression that all of my gay friends- and myself- strongly find offensive and ask that you refrain from using.)
While I strongly agree Justin and Wendy, both for the definition of gay, but also with their convictions about the need for the church to accept that definition, I would call for caution. While challenging someone like Alan Chambers, whose role is to represent one of the worlds largest ministries to gay people, is a prophetic necessity, we must have much grace to other Christians who find themselves in often very hostile environments where such a change is concerned. I am not saying we should soft-pedal on injustice out of self-protection- even writing this could threaten my own financial stability in ministry- but instead recognize that this issue is first pastoral, not simply ideological. We may to navigate like people who are bilingual, slowly helping others understand the differences.
I would argue that the most widely accepted understanding of the word “gay” is someone attracted to the same-sex. However, the fact is that millions of Christians utilize the word with their understanding in context often isolated from the wider context. To see change in how Christians understand and use the term will take a long time- longer than is probably right or fair. Further, there will be some circles in which the change will not happen at all. For Christians and Christian communities that genuinely desire to missionally engage gay people outside of the church or with gay Christians (which there are many, many, many) or even with people in the wider post-Christendom culture, this is a change we must work at diligently.
Why? Because, we are to follow Christ, who “did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself” (Phil. 2:6,7). In other words, the onus of connecting meaningfully with people falls to the Christian. We do not require people to adapt to us, to our language or our culture, in order to encounter Christ. This is not license to be amoral, but rather a foundational missiological commitment that we affirm in almost every other expression of Christian mission.
Some may argue, like Alan Chambers that the “problem with being a gay Christian is that gay takes center stage. But God won’t share His throne with anyone or anything.” After all, some will say, I don’t identify as a ’straight Christian’. yet these statements miss the fact that we live in a heteronormative culture, which means that we don’t have to say we are “straight Christians” because heterosexuality is by far the assumed reality of most people until they identify otherwise.
Therefore, when my gay friends refer to themselves as “gay Christians” they do not do so because their orientation is somehow more primary than their identity in Christ, but rather because it is all too often assumed that the words gay and Christian are irreconcilable. It is a response to year beyond counting where gay people have had to live in fear and silence regarding their sexuality, even (and sometime especially) from the church.
So, what then do I say when someone asks me if I am gay? My response has general been to explain that my sexual orientation is bisexual. Does this mean I am not gay? Not necessarily. It depends on who is asking and what they mean by the word? Am I happy with that ambiguity? No, but it is my commitment to continue to have these kinds of conversations, the broaden peoples understanding so that the divergence between these two understandings becomes less and less. It is not something I do because I owe it to my fellow gay Christians- though that is a motivation- but rather because faithfulness to Christ requires no less.
Let’s explore this with comments and questions. However, any attacks or offensive posts will be deleted. Thanks for keeping this a safe place.
Great post, friend. Thanks for your openness and honesty on such a controversial subject. Love you and miss you, and all my Canadian friends.
Thanks Michelle. We miss you heaps too. Love ya!
Jamie, thank you so much for this post. It is very reasonable and persuasive. I hope it will generate a lot of positive discussion.
Jamie, just wanted to bless you, my friend for such a courageous post. It’s a gift to all who read it.
Jamie, I am at work and not able to delve deeply into commenting, but I wanted to thank you. You have such courage and your desire to live in integrity is so moving to me. Thank you for starting this conversation.
Appreciate the courage, vulnerability, and openness. I think this post is a welcome, inviting, and refreshing voice in the conversation.
Jamie, there is so much to commend in this post. Thanks for your openness. Thanks for demonstrating as well as encouraging a very Christ-like perspective. Thanks for raising the awareness that many people do not appreciate the anti-gay rhetoric of parts of Christendom. Thanks for reminding us that it is our privilege and responsibility to open our hearts and minds to all.
Thank you for discussing something so sensitive with openness and honest.
Jamie your blog continues to bless and impress! Thanks for your courage and care in this conversation.
Beautifully written! I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s time this language confusion be cleared up, and I’m glad to read a post that’s done it so well. I will be reposting this for my own blog followers! Blessings!
Was directed to your blog today for the first time and I want to say I have read your post and your thoughts will help me as i continue to navigate this dialogue with a variety of people. Being a person that has also had questions regarding my sexual identity and my sexual orientation your post will be something i will continue to think about. As a person that first and foremost decided to walk with Jesus Christ and secondly make myself available to anyone that has similar questions regarding a relationship with Jesus Christ and how one navigates through there life with questions regarding faith and sexuality. Thanks for your Post Jamie and I would like to sit down face to face sometime and chat about these things if interested.
Hey Dennis,
Thanks for your encouragement. I am very hopeful for the conversation this could produce. Stick around and add your voice to it!
Thanks Dan, I appreciate that.
Al, thanks. This is such an important conversation to have and we are nowhere near finishing it. It is going to be hard, slow and messy, but oh so essential. Thanks again.
Thanks Adam.
Thanks Laura, I appreciate that.
Thanks Fran, I hope you can weigh in more later. Your input is always of value to me.
Thanks Eddie. I hope it produces conversation too. It seems to be already (given the number of private emails I have received!).
Thanks Heidi. Let me know how people respond.
Thanks Tye, I would be happy to connect. Not sure if you remember me, but we’ve met before. We have many common friends. Drop me a line any time.
This is by far 1 of the most controversial articles I have read. When in ywam studying counseling I had the privalege of hearing many great speakers from around the world. One being Dean Sherman, when talking with him I came up with a saying that has stuck with me since then which was 1991. It went like this”Feelinga aren’t right. And feelings aren’t wrong, they just are. It’s what you do with them which makes them right or wrong” in saying this I would like to clarify my point. In my 19 years of marriage my wife has asked me if a male actor was attractive and I would answer sure? And I would do the same to her and she would say yeah that actress is gorgeous! But that does not make me hetero sexual. Gay. Homosexual or any of the above fore mentioned. If a physical attraction lead to a emotional and intimate 1 that’s where I have to challenge you. After all the creator made man and woman for a reason. That does not mean you can’t have friends that are close
. But the bible does talk quite clearly about sexual immorality, and sex outside a relationship ordained by The creator himself. Well enough said for now but feel free to contact me if you wanna discuss this further, I’ve been meaning to contact you for awhile now already. Regards Geoff
Geoff, I appreciate you taking the time to write. Dean is someone I have had the privilege to know for many years too, though we do not always agree on all aspects of his teaching. However, I must say, with all due respect, that to compare your appreciation of an attractive male with what a gay person experiences in the orientation only demonstrates that you do not understand the depth and power of such issues. They are NOT the same thing. Appreciation for beauty and primary sexual attraction are very, very different things. Neither is about having close friendships with people of a certain gender.
As for the morality of homosexuality, you will not I did not address it in my post. It is not the focus of the article. In fact, this post is relevant to people who believe very different things. That is, the point of the article is to point out how our use of language alienates and wounds the very people we are called to love (and claim to want to reach).
As YWAMer’s we should be more than aware of how quickly Christians denounce others for sins that are “clearly” condemned in Scripture- like women in ministry. I am not suggesting that you change you beliefs on this matter, but rather recognize that conversation is necessary.
Thanks for weighing in.
Peace,
Jamie
Thanks for writing this. It’s both vulnerable and challenging. This is such a sticky subject, but one that is well worth wrestling with. It will take more people being willing to open themselves up like you have to help us all discuss it in a healthy and productive manner.
One question: Why is the term “homosexual” considered derogatory?
April, thanks so much.
The reason that the term “homosexual” is offensive when referring to a person (or a couple) is because it is a term that has become so used by anti-gay groups and movements that it has become associated with that perspective.
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for adding your voice to this ongoing dialogue. This is a critical time in the history of the church to be intentional in articulating the many nuances and complexities of this matter. Describing a reality and defining a primary identity are two very different things. It may be very important for individuals who experience an enduring reality of same-sex attraction to be able to speak honestly and authentically about that without continuously having to clarify and dismantle others’ assumptions. By being sufficiently non-threatened to use the common descriptive language of our culture, the church demonstrates a willingness to surrender presumption, entitlement, and pride. Be nurturing environments where people can be honest about the aspects of their reality that they navigate as followers of Christ without shame or fear of judgment, we are simply living out God’s intention for shalom – the space in which people can flourish despite the limitations of our fallen world. None of this is a statement about the appropriateness or inappropriateness of same-sex sexual relationships. This is about the more fundamental question of how our experience of sexuality affects our personhood. We as the church ought not to capitulate to a reductionistic notion that our sexuality is simply a carnal desire to have physical sexual relations. Rather, our sexuality is our drive to overcome our aloneness – and therefore affects how we view and engage the world of people and relationships, how we express ourselves through creativity, humour, and other means of connection. All of human sexuality is affected to some degree by the reality that things are not fully as they should be. But, let us remember that heterosexual privilege is not Biblical. Heterosexual marriage may well have been God’s original design – but a privilege that puts others in a second class category is an evolved social construction and not inherently an aspect of the good news of the gospel that proclaims that ALL have access to reconciliation with God through the undeserved gift of grace through Jesus Christ. So in choosing to be incarnational people, where we strip ourselves of privilege, status and reputation so that we can identify with those on the margins, those who are alienated or outcast, let us stand in solidarity with anyone who finds themselves a minority and work to create environments where their stories, experiences and sense of self can be shared openly, honestly and authentically.
Well done Jamie. May it be a constructive conversation in your corner of the blogging world. Shalom my friend.
Thanks Wendy! Can I just say, your comment is a fantastic blog post in and of itself. I may just need to post it!
@April –
Let me add to Jamie’s response.
These days I would not refer to someone of ethnically African ancestry as a “Negro”, or a first nations person as a “Red Indian”. Why is that? It’s because these terms have been used widely and offensively in the past. They are imposed labels. As such, they highlight otherness and less-ness.
For the same reasons, I don’t commonly use the word “homosexual”, even with my friends. It’s clinical. It’s too often used by those whom we feel are anti-gay because they won’t use our preferred labels. In so doing, they continue to highlight otherness and less-ness in a hetero-normative culture.
Thanks Mark. I was going to use the term “clinical” as well. I appreciate your thoughts on this.
Your post reflects a humility and gentleness reflective of the messiah you obviously serve. I have trouble reconciling the historical understanding of homosexuality with the modern cultural understanding. You’re right that in simplistic terms the word “Gay” means only someone who is attracted to members of the same sex. But historically it has not been that simple, and todays understanding of homosexuality bears much of the baggage from eras past.
Forgive me for quickly reviewing gay history, but…
From my understanding the first person to come up with the idea (not the word) of the homosexual is Karl Heinrich Ulrichs who did not come up with the word homosexual but rather used the word “urnings.” Ulrichs defined Urnings as a third sort of gender in which men were born with female spirits, but the idea is one we understand still today: that homosexuals are fundamentally different than the general population. All my friends know I experience same gender attractions and I am very open and honest about that. I however refuse to use the word “Gay” to self identify not because I believe its ontologically incorrect (for yes, I am attracted to other men,) but because much as its predecessor “urnings” it has been a qualifier which carried connotation of being fundamentally different.
therefore, though it may not be dishonest to claim to be “gay” and “christian,” it is not an identity which I think would be beneficial to me. I am so much more than my sexuality and using phrases such as “same sex attracted” rather than the simple “gay” allows me to be honest about the narrative of my life while forgoing the “separateness” which was inherent with the idea of homosexuals being a distinct people.
Wow Jamie! Impressive. You have got some stones. I wish we could all be this honest in our lives. It would make for much more grace and humility. You are truly serving an unserved area of our society. Kind of like Jesus??…
I do not know what to say. I just need to listen more. So can you please keep talking.
Jamie, thanks for the honest post. For the ways you are vulnerable and real as you talk about what is becoming a very controversial topic. Terminology and definition is something that a lot of people are talking about, specifically in the whole area of same sex attraction.
When I was living as a gay identified man, all my gay and lesbian friends used the word gay or lesbian as a descriptive word but would also classify this as one of identity. We were not straight…we were gay or lesbian…and we were pretty proud of that fact. No one that I knew chose to live celibate lives. It wasn’t an all encompassing identity, but one that was very important to us. (I don’t know what it was like in a gay christian atmosphere, because that wasn’t my world, nor was it for my friends, who identified as gay or lesbian). So if we are talking specifics about the Christian GLBTQ community, I cannot comment.
What I have observed in my own journey is that having met the Lord who spoke very clearly to me about leaving a gay identity, I discovered grace and mercy at the cross. I began using the term same sex attraction…rather than “gay” because my bent of attraction is toward the same gender but I no longer describe that attraction as gay. For me and my journey the word gay was both descriptive and identity. For me to walk in authenticity is to say that God has made all things new, and I interpret that as my identity in him and my descriptive definition is a son of God. Does that mean I am free of attraction toward the same sex…no, but anyone who knows me and how I communicate knows that authenticity is important. I am honest with my journey and attraction, and feel that for me to use the word gay is not authentic or real for me. I know many people who believe the same. Alan is one of those people. I think for many people who have used the word as a descriptive word as well as a word regarding their identity, who have now chosen to walk away from that, takes courage and great humility and strength. For people to then say…”you’re dishonest if you don’t use the word gay to describe their attraction” is a slap in their face. Talk to any one of these people and you will find that they authentically share that they may still be attracted to the same sex, but the word gay doesn’t fit their paradigm in any way shape or form. How then do we walk together, authentically communicating with each other, using different descriptive terms? Is there space for that?
If someone asks me if I am gay, I’ll share of the hope of Christ, authentically sharing my journey toward Christ and how I see myself now, not as a heterosexual…but as a son of God who calls me by name, and is continually restoring my sexuality. I describe “restoration” by saying, we are all broken in our sexuality, no matter who we are. For me, that doesn’t mean I am free of the attraction, but rather, I submit that to the Lord. Having once been marginalized, alienated and outcast, I know what it means to find myself a minority, and strangely, I am beginning to find myself in that similar place in dialogues within the church and outside the church, regarding this specific conversation.
It’s important to create and work to have space for all people to share their stories, experiences and allow them to share their sense of self, without being marginalized or viewed as lesser than. We have a long way to go in many respects, but what I do know is that Christ is big enough for all of us and the ground at the cross is level ground and all are welcome. For me the bigger issue is probably how we see ourselves (our identity) as children of God, and how do we understand God’s love for now reconciled through Christ.
Just a few thoughts.
Frank C, thanks for the comment. I am familiar with the history of the words use. However, language is fluid, as we see when we compare dictionaries across timelines. The word “gay” is more widely used in the manner I described above.
That said, I wouldn’t want to suggest that people should not have the freedom to identify as they choose. Absolutely, individuals need to have that freedom. However, in many Christian circles there are actually negative consequences for identifying as gay, even if it just acknowledges the attraction.
Thanks Matt!
Hey Kenny. Thanks for your comment. As I said to Frank C. (above), I am not suggesting that all same-sex attracted people MUST or SHOULD identify as gay. Only that we should not pressure anyone to change their identifier. For many, it is like stepping (back) into darkness. If you feel strongly about not identifying as gay, that is fair. I understand that completely. However, we need to make the church a place where people can identify as gay without the meaning you associate with it to be presumed.
I am someone who identifies as a gay Christian. I use the word gay to refer to the fact that I am attracted to my own sex.
If we use this definition of the word “gay” then there will be gay Christians. It’s not the case that a person who is a Christian immediately stops being a Christian the moment he or she realizes that they are attracted to the same sex. And it is not the case that the moment a gay person decides to follow Jesus that their attractions to the same sex instantaneously disappear. Thus there will be people who are trying to follow Jesus who experience attractions to the same sex. There will be gay Christians.
No matter what a church believes or teaches about sexuality it is most likely that there will be gay people in it. I myself grew up in a conservative church and I have met other gay people who grew up in churches that were far more conservative than mine. Preaching against homosexuality will not prevent people in that church from experiencing same sex attraction.
Therefore a young person may discover that they have attractions to someone of the same sex. These attractions are not something they chose and now they realize that the term gay may apply to them. They have been told repeatedly that there is no such thing as a gay Christian. Therefore they feel that if they want to remain a Christian they have to make these attractions go away. I myself went down this path. I read books, went to counselling, underwent deliverance ministry, prayed prayers, made deals with God, and analyzed my relationships with my parents and others. But in the end I still had attractions to men.
When these methods are unsuccessful at making same-sex attractions go away the person then feels trapped. They have these attractions that they didn’t choose and they can’t get rid of. They are still stuck with the message that there is no such thing as a gay Christian and since they can’t unchoose the gay part of themselves they decide the only way to make peace is to unchoose the Christian part of themselves. They walk away from God and the church. I know at one point I was tempted to go down that path.
But I was glad that I had friends, connections, a counsellor and a pastor that provided safe spaces for me to ask questions. It was OK for me to honestly admit that I did have attractions to men and to use the word gay to refer to that experience. I did a lot of reading and praying on my own and with these supports. I earnestly sought God and his direction.
My faith in God survived because of the safe and gracious spaces that I found. I know that a lot of gay people aren’t this privileged and in the end they feel driven out of the church. This makes me sad and angry at times. I long for people to experience the same freedom that I felt in exploring my questions. I long for them to have places where they can truly approach God with their gut-wrenching fears and questions.
Thanks Jamie and Mark for clarifying the distaste for the word homosexual. I thought as much, but it’s helpful to actually hear the explanation. “Imposed labels” and “clinical” definitely help me understand better.
Hey Shane. Thanks for weighing in.
More than that, thanks for telling us your story. I think we need to hear these stories more, to pull a conversation that is all too often abstract for many Christians and make it personal. I deeply appreciate it.
No worries, April. That’s who we learn, right?
Jamie, I know you’re right that it will take time and effort to get a lot of the church to understand what being gay means. Human sexuality is not something that most people are taught growing up, and often the subject of sexual attraction is greatly misunderstood (even for people attracted to the opposite sex, so imagine how confusing it is to grow up gay).
I think it’s also important to point out that many people are primarily attracted to one sex. I am and have only been attracted to the same sex, and that means I am gay. I am also 34 years old and the oldest child and have blue eyes and am losing my hair. Being gay describes me and is an important part of who I am, but it’s not something I talk about or think about unless it is relevant to the situation and it isn’t my core identity or motivation.
I’ve had people say to me before I came out to them, “I wish gay people weren’t so insistent on shoving it in my face.” And I love being able to say, “Well, if that were the case, you would already know that I’m gay.”
But I think that we need to be clear when we communicate. When someone says, “He no longer identifies as gay,” that means to a lot of people that attractions have changed, even though they haven’t. It gives a false hope to parents of a gay teenager that their child will not be dealing with the prejudice and religious implications for the rest of their lives.
There is space for individuals to identify the way that fits them best. But being gay doesn’t go away regardless of depth of faith or lack thereof.
Marty, I think many Christians only experience gay people through media- news, sitcoms, movies, etc. and that gives a false sense. Like you say, most of my gay friends don’t walk around with a sign flashing that they are gay. Yes, it is important part of who they are, but the first or only thing. Thanks for pointing that out.
I think your point about the assumption of changed orientation is SO important. That is why I think this is SO important for Christians to read & engage. Thank you so much.
Hi Jamie,
I am blown away with your honesty and ability to articulate your beliefs in such a powerful way. Your post definitely has given me some things to ponder. I have different (and even contrasting) experiences than you in life and in regard to the gay community, but it is interesting (and “enlightening”) to hear your perspective.
Again, thank you for your vulnerability.
Jeremy, thanks for your encouragement. Please do share your different & contrasting experiences. There is more than one story. We need to hear them all.
Wow, Jamie. Well said, my friend. Thank you so much for your honesty and transparency. Peace to you, my friend.
Thanks Sarah
I have had your post on my heart and mind for so much of the day. Work ended late, ran home, ate soup in a hurry and off to a small faith sharing group. I continued to think of this post and all that it brought up for me. Your candor is astounding and very powerful – thank you for speaking up as you have. Your book has been bringing me so much insight and this is like another level of such insight.
Recently a new neighbor moved in and I invited her to our small faith sharing group. As I dropped her off tonight she told me a sad tale of her best friend’s son who killed himself at age 34. He had been brutally tormented as a gay teenager. His parents never knew – they would have taken him out of his school, but they did not know that he was gay or bullied. This darkness stayed with him for so long. Later, when they knew he was indeed gay, they fully accepted him.
His torment was in a Catholic school. God have mercy… As a Catholic social media person, I get lots of emails from people who have been simply shattered by the church or some aspect of it. It is horrible.
Thus your point of gay Christians needing the gay qualifier makes sense.
I think that ultimately it is easy to name ourselves gay, Christian, liberal, orthodox, Republican, whatever. I think that it is hard to be the person that God loved into being – which is what we are tenderly called to each day of our lives. James Martin, SJ said, “Being holy simply means being who you are.”
The times and needs for labels change at different times of life. In the end I am always most concerned about a person’s wholeness and dignity. Do we treat one another as Christ? Usually not.
Sorry for the long, rambling comment! God bless you Jamie – may you help pave a path that we all might follow, straight, gay or otherwise, that leads us closer to God.
T
Jamie
I am so happy to be reconnecting with you.
Your writing is so spiritually refreshing! Thank you for sharing.
FRS, as always, thanks for your contribution to the conversation. The story you tell is all too common, sadly. Your insight & honesty is refreshing & necessary. Not rambling at all.
Cassidy, likewise! Let’s stay connected this time. Peace!
Hi Jamie,
I didn’t have time to read all the comments (wow by the way! I don’t know if I’ve seen that many comments on one blog posting in such a short time.)
I wanted to say that I find this blog post very refreshing and very relevant in my own reconciliation of thoughts and feelings in this matter. Thank you.
Peace
Melissa
Thanks Melissa!