Bruce Jenner and "Her"

I watched with great interest the Diane Sawyer interview of Bruce Jenner.



I wanted to hear what he had to say. As a conservative Christian for many years (the kind who didn't "drink, smoke or chew, or go with those who do") I remembered back to those days when I would not have even considered listening to an interview like this.

How sad.

The interview got me thinking about a conversation I had with my nephew a few years ago as we were studying Proverbs 22:6  As we studied we discussed how the Hebrew meaning of "in the way he should go" was much stronger than the English and literally reads "according to the measure of his way". As we continued studying we discovered that the word "way" or Hebrew "derek" means"road, journey or course of action, mode of habit, of duty and moral character both good and bad."

So as we studied we began to realize that each of the children (and myself included as I was once a child) was born with their own set of talents, and abilities and tendencies or sins, or "bends" or sin-bends" if you will. In other words we are each born with a particular way in which we will sin. We are MORE partial to this type of sinning. We l-e-a-n toward THAT sin more than others. We struggle there where others do not.

As we wrapped up our study time my nephew looked up at me and asked, "So, Aunt Gail, does this mean homosexual people are born that way?" I could not answer him. I did not know the answer, but, it made sense. It IS a sin, and as humans we ARE born into sin.

What I DO know is this:

As I have grown and matured as a believer I have learned that Jesus did not shy away from loving those among us who seemed to be THE most unlovable. He put His hands on those whom society cast out and He healed them. In many cases He went to where they were. He rejected no one, except the Canaanite woman.

He rejected her not to crush her but to strengthen her.

Richard Sibbes put it like this:

"God doth always hear though He seemeth not to hear at times to increase our importunity. Christ heard the woman of Cannan at first; but yet to increaseth her importunity, He gave her the repulse and the denial, and with the same, inward strength to wrestle with Him...God seems not to hear, because He delights in the music of His children's prayers. Oh! How He loves to hear the voice of His children! As a father to hear the language of His child, though it be none of the  best; so it is sweet music to God's ear to hear the prayer of His children. He would have prayers to be cries. Therefore He defers to hear; but in deferring, He doth not defer, for He increaseth our strength as Jacob's wresteling, that we might cry out after Him and offer violence to Him again."

God gives the repulse, the denial AND the strength to wrestle with Him.

I know that God does not make mistakes, and I believe this.

I also know that there are people who are born into this world with both male and female genitalia. As I listened to the interview, I was presented with evidence that said in utero these people are bathed with the hormones that "make" them male or female. (I'm paraphrasing the information but that's basically what they said) Suddenly I remembered back to when I was bearing my own children and I remembered reading something that was supposed to be a joke that said male babies were bathed in utero with testosterone, and  (here comes the supposed punch line) "THAT'S why they are brain dead" but this science behind transexualisim says that the male babies DON'T get this testosterone or maybe the female babies get the testosterone. In any event, I DO NOT KNOW.

I DO know that we ABSOLUTELY can NOT treat people with anything other than love and respect. Ever. For any reason. Period. We certainly can not run, screaming in the other direction because we do not understand what they are going through. I believe if we are open and honest and don't bash people with the bible but truly seek to have open honest dialogue we might actually get somewhere in our discussions. If we seek understanding.

Look, I am NO theologian. I COULD be totally off base.

Casting Crowns wrote a song called "Jesus Friend of Sinners" and one of the lines says this:

"Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded; what if we put down our signs, crossed over the lines and loved like He did?"

That's all I'm saying...I don't know any transgendered people, but I had a sister who struggled with homosexuality for most of her adult life. She attempted suicide multiple times because of the shame associated with that particular sin. I lost too many years with her because I attended a church that taught me I could have nothing to do with a sinner like her. What that church didn't teach me was that I really couldn't have anything to do with my self either, because I am a sinner too.

Lemme ask you a question. If THAT much hate was directed towards you and your little secret sins, how do you think you'd handle it?

Something to think about.

Look around you today and seek to really see those you interact with. Ask yourself if you can love that person like Jesus did, and then DO IT. Jesus was and still IS a friend of sinners ya'll, and me? I'm the biggest, fattest one of them all.

XOXO