What gets me is how hopeless and isolated Tyler must have felt - to jump off a bridge to his death. And even worse is some of the hate messages left on the Tyler Clementi Memorial Facebook page. A sample:
"God says very clearly that homosexuality and suicide are mortal sins. TONIGHT TYLER DINES IN HELL."
When there are many other things God defines as "mortal sins" as well and Jesus said no-one can judge another unless that person is blameless themself.
The point is that God loves us inspite of our sin. That He offers a life of freedom from sin. And that is the only hope any of us have.
What makes it worse is the episode of Glee that (coincidentally) aired a few days later, with Kurt Hummel declaring, "God’s kind of a jerk, isn’t he? I mean, he makes me gay, then has his followers going around telling me it’s something that I chose. As if someone would choose to be mocked every single day of their life."
People need to get an understanding of God's goodness.
I don't know how or why anyone is who they are and why we feel the things we do. But I do know that God's dreams for you are greater even than your own.
I know that He wants you to live a fulfilled life and that that comes from knowing Him.
God's followers disappoint Him all the time - probably more than those who don't follow Him. But He still loves us. Just like He loves you, no matter who you are, what you've done or what you feel.
If you're gay and think that God might be real, but don't know how to get the two to match up, talk to someone who's been there.
Trust me:
God is good. And He made you for Him to love you.
Don't stop writing Daryl! Your words are heartfelt and meaningful. This post in particular caught my attention. We live in a fallen world, we have fallen bodies and we experience death and sin in a very real way. There is only one unforgivabe sin - to deny Jesus. He is the only way to salvation, but he has made it so freely available to all who will acknowledge that they need Him. His grace and mercy is enough for anyone. Every person will have weakness that manifests in different ways - we are ALL in need of a saviour - one no more than the other. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. It's a revolutionary message, one like no other religion, that WHOSOEVER will believe in Jesus will be saved - a free gift! Love like this I have not seen anywhere else in this world.
ReplyDeleteKeep at it Daryl. It's all so much more real when it's personal.