Love Louder

I was listening to Andrew Peterson sing about church today being like "the second coming of the Pharisees." What a nightmare. But he's right about the loud ones...seems like the ones making themselves heard are the haters. Hater Christians - words that put next to each other should instantaneously combust. I know press is business and hating on homosexuals getsair time because it's inflammatory. But still, how do they get to be the face of our faith? Could we be louder? 

Now I value quiet, grass-roots, person-to-person change. That's real and true and loving our neighbor's certainly not often headline-worthy. But there are people who aren't right next to us and they might believe what's being shouted. To the woman marching in the Pride parade (unless these guys are there) doesn't know that thousands of us sit in church, frustrated by the actions of these extremists. Our frustration doesn't help her. It doesn't ease the pain of the condemnation she's heard her whole life. I'm not okay with that and a few days ago, I realized there might be a way to get heard. A way to love loud enough that the gay community could realize a lot of Christians care. Here's what I'd say and here's what every Christian can say who embraces the gospel.

God hates fags? Nope. He doesn't. He loves homosexuals because he loves everybody. He's crazy about them. The most famous, treasured verse in the whole Bible starts with, God loved the world so MUCH... 

Not most of the world. 

The whole freakin' world. 

Homosexuals didn't get a separate category because they are NOT IN a separate category. 

And I want to say this big enough and loud enough that people whose only exposure to church is the news, will hear it. 

God loves gays. 

Here's another reason I think we need to tell the truth about this. Most days I fight a paranoia that tells me God's mad at me. I know I'm not the only one because there's a book entitled, God Is Not Mad at You. The difference between me and some of the gays and lesbians who've heard God hates them, is they don't have the luxury of knowing the truth. It's like shooting someone who's unarmed. They don't have a way to fight back. 

The beautiful thing about these days is we don't have to rely on press to spread the word. If we want to say something and enough of us want to say it, we can reach people we won't ever see face to face. I want those people to know Jesus loves them too. 

Speaking of hate, I hate hate hate manipulation and chain letters and all things that pressure me to do something I don't want to. So I'm asking you to do this only if your gut is stirring inside you and you want to raise your voice. No arm-twisted displays of love, please. Just the big, love-gushing-out ones. 

So I'm asking you to write on a piece of paper or poster board or buy a billboard that says, God LOVES gays, take a picture and post it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram...anywhere you can. Add the hash tag #loveLGBTlouder. For those of you who aren't familiar, LGBT stands for lesbian, bisexual, gays and transgender people. 

I know this is a hot topic and Christians feel very differently about all things homosexual, but the one thing we should be able to agree on (because it's made irrefutably clear in the Bible) is God loves everyone. There's nothing that can separate us from his love. Not promiscuity, not dishonesty, not even being a Christian hater. I may need to make another poster that says, God LOVES Westboro members. Just in case I forget.

Shine the light. Throw it all over the interwebs and see if we can't arm a few searching souls with the truth that God loves them, no matter what anyone says.