When I read the review on 21Myths that said it was naive to think that loving gay people was enough, I thought to myself, but love never fails. 

The review said that people get very angry when you tell them they disagree with their lifestyle. I thought, since when did Jesus tell people he disagreed with their lifestyle? The only time he told them that was when they called themselves believers and didn’t love people from the heart.

When I overcame my fear of writing the chapter on homosexuality, I could have never guessed about Orlando:

“Sometimes we are so afraid of what we don’t understand — of what we cannot see. I get this. I think Christians are afraid of gay pride parades. They fear transgender people. They don’t now what to do about their relative or friend who is gay or bisexual. So we grasp tight on the steering wheel for control, and no matter how hard we squeeze, we can’t fix the thing we don’t understand. In my mind, God is saying to let go of trying to change people and to love them wholeheartedly, from the heart. Look past a person’s struggles and offer them — right in the middle of their mess — the free gift of life.

Unless we choose to get involved in their lives in a loving way, they may never know how much God loves them. 

p.s. There is no fear in love, for perfect love drives out fear. Let’s find ways to pursue people in the LGBT community and to love them in uncommon ways.” ^{(21Myths, Myth #14)}

Well, here’s our chance folks. The pain and suffering that has swept our nation from the massacre in Orlando is our chance to finally reach out to those who look and act differently than us and love them in uncommon ways.

Jesus never approached someone by telling them he disagreed with their lifestyle (unless they were greedy or judgmental.) On the contrary, he approached people with love, with kindness, with living water.

There are people in Orlando who need your prayers today. There is someone who needs a place to rest and cry and be held.

The church should be this place. I should be this place. You too. 

#prayfororlando.