You don't need to stop being a Christian.
If you are part of the LGBT community, you don't need to leave the faith. There is a place for you that won't condemn you for being who you are. That won't say to you, "love the sinner, hate the sin". You do not have to feel like God and the church have abandoned you. There is a place for you.
If you have tattoos, there is a place to go where no one cares. You do not have to stop being a Christian.
If you believe in science, and feel like evolution is part of God's process, and that climate change is really happening because we have not been good stewards of the Earth, there is a place for you. You do not have to abandon your faith.
If you question the literal way the Bible is interpreted, where you cannot question the conclusions of the church elders, that passages controlling your sexual behavior, or support conservative philosophy, are heightened and taken out of context, whereas one of the greatest themes of the bible, that of taking care of the poor and disadvantaged - by you and the church AND society...is a message that is either muted or disregarded, there is a place for you. You don't have to stop being a Christian.
If you are pressed to have a conversion experience rather than a lifelong journey to a better embracement of Christ, and letting him work in your life as your understanding and love increases, there is a place for you. Do not give up hope.
If you are told that you may be an outsider if you vote for someone besides the approved list of Christian Conservative candidates, there is a place for you. You do not have to surrender your beliefs.
Just ask yourself the following;
Do you love God? Do you know how much God loves you?
Do you love your neighbors? Are you willing to open your heart and try?
Do you want to feel God's presence in your life?
Do you want to help make this world a better place? To be the hands and feet of Christ?
Do you want to focus on love, not hate? On tolerance and reaching out, not intolerance and circling wagons? On the beauty of God and not the wrath of church elders?
Then, trust me, no matter what else you hear, you are a Christian, and there are places for you.
One such place is Grace Episcopal in Waycross. There are other places as well. Christianity is not JUST churches who are trying to out-conservative and out-condemn each other. There are Christians churches where you can be loved and also express your love for God and humanity. Search your communities. Search your heart. You will find them.
God loves you.
God will not abandon you.
No comments:
Post a Comment