An Open Letter to My LGBTQ Friends

Dear LGBTQ friends,

There is not a flag over my profile picture. Please do not take this to mean I love you any less or wish to judge how you live your life. I have no right to do so, especially if you do not claim to be a Christian. How can I, or anyone else, ask you to live by the commands of someone you do not choose to follow?  I would be appalled to be required by the law of our land to follow Sharia Law when I do not follow the tenants of Islam. I do not have a flag on my picture because I believe that the government should have LESS say over personal and religious matters that don't harm anyone else (like marriage) as opposed to more. It’s not that I don’t want the government to legalize your marriage; it’s that I don’t want it to “legalize” mine.

I’m sorry that there is so much polarization and hate coming at you “in the name of Christianity”. I’m sorry that so many are screaming about gay marriage when they’re silent about premarital sex, divorce, infidelity, lust and other sexual sins clearly listed in the Bible that are rampant in the church today. I’m sorry that you have faced hate and discrimination while we conveniently ignore the sins in our own lives. I’m sorry this is not more common:

While I cannot morally encourage what I believe to be sinful, I believe in a God who sent a Savior for EVERY sinner, including me.  I believe in a loving, merciful and just God who created us with the free will to choose whether or not to worship Him through our choice to follow His commands. I pray that the people in your life who believe that there are consequences for choosing not to follow Him love you enough to push you towards Him, but ultimately, that choice is yours. I do not believe a government should try to take that free will away by legislating religion, so in that, I’m am glad for the equality you were given Friday – I just wish the government didn’t get to define or redefine marriage at all.

If you are someone who claims faith in Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection and also identifies as  LGBTQ, I pray that there are other Christians in your life who are close enough with you for you to invite into respectful and loving discussions of all the struggles, sins, joys, temptations, and heartaches in your life and that you can do the same for them.  I do believe that part of loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is to lovingly tell them hard truths – but so many miss the loving part.  I also pray that the Christians with whom are you are not that close, likely including me; simply treat you with the understanding that you are a child of God, made in His image and loved by Him unconditionally. 

I’m sorry for the image of Christianity that so many are portraying today. Please know that there are Christians who love you unconditionally, whether or not they agree with the SCOTUS ruling.

Megan