I came across an article on Facebook entitled, "5 Things Jesus Says to the Gay Community." Here are the 5 points listed, without all the fluff after each point:
1. I love you.
2. I understand rejection.
3. I also was tempted.
4. I want more for you.
5. I will be here for you.
Apparently this is what Jesus says to the gay community. The first problem with this article is that the author claims to know what Jesus is saying. How dare you claim that you know the mind of Jesus. Or did he tell you this himself? Which Jesus did you talk to? Was it pro-America, Republican, pro-gun-rights, white Jesus (which happens to be exactly what you are)?
Now let's talk about each of the points.
"I love you." Of course that is the first one. But we all know that this love is not unconditional. There is always a "but" afterward. "I love you, but..." When conservatives discuss homosexuality, "I love you" is always first because it is intended to soften the blow of what they are about to say next.
"I understand rejection." Absolutely. Yet what this author fails to realize is that a whole lot of rejection that the gay community has faced has come from the church itself, in the name of Jesus. The church is supposed to be the representative of Jesus on earth; yet this point is giving mixed messages to the gay community. Jesus understands rejection and how much it sucks; so he wouldn't perpetuate rejection of the already marginalized (consider the types of people that he spent time with). But the current representing agent of Jesus does perpetuate rejection of the marginalized. There is a disconnection. So which version of Jesus does the church follow? Well, all I'll say is that actions speak louder than words.
"I also was tempted." Sure. The article highlights under this point that Jesus never married, so he certainly faced a great deal of temptation around sexuality. Solid. However, what if "Jesus" had 5 things to say to single people? Would this be one of the points? Or is this point only included because the author's view is such that homosexuality is a sin (and being single isn't)? The church forces people born gay to fight the impossible battle of never giving into their sexual desires but also never marrying.
"I want more for you." "The reason He clearly [*cough cough*] defined marriage and sex in the Bible is because He wants what is best for you." So let me get this straight (ha)--it is a good thing for a gay person to deny their sexual desires and to get married to someone of the opposite sex that they feel no desire for? It is a good idea for them to completely repress who they truly are in their marriage? Also, let's talk for a moment about what Jesus actually said about homosexuality while he was here on earth. This website contains every passage in the Bible in which Jesus talks about homosexuality: http://whatjesussaidaboutgays.com/
"I will be here for you." The gist of this point is, "no matter how long you flounder around in your wicked lifestyle, Jesus will still wait for you to come to him." Honestly, there's not much new to say on this point without opening the debate of "is homosexuality really a sin?"
This article does not have a specific author; it cites a church as the author. Guess where this church is based? South Carolina.
Also, I bet the person who actually wrote this article has never met a gay person in their life. Or if they have, they didn't listen to the person's story for long enough before they started telling the gay person to repent and seek Jesus. And they very clearly haven't met a gay Christian before.
The Jesus that I know probably would not say these five things. My guess would be that Jesus wouldn't even comment on a gay person's sexual orientation. He'd probably spend time with them and get to know them because, you know, they're people. And he wants to show--not just say--that he loves them.
But I'm not going to be so arrogant as to assume I know what Jesus would and would not do. Chances are, he'd probably do something that I wouldn't expect.
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