March is full of events that I'm looking forward to. Spring break, my roommate's birthday, and the very anticipated release of Disney's live-action Beauty & The Beast. I've been squealing when a new trailer is released, new clips that show more and more into a world I loved as a kid, and no, I have not missed all the articles going around from Christians and churches calling for a boycott.

If you've been missing all the articles, church leaders, bloggers and others have called Christians to boycott the movie because Disney has announced its first gay character in a film. This announcement has upset a lot of people in the church and... if I'm honest, the outcry has disheartened me.

I can't tell you how many articles I've read and comments I've skimmed, of parents telling other parents to not take their kids to see this because it's wrong and children shouldn't be exposed to homosexual content. You can even sign a petition just to let Disney know of your disapproval.

Well you know what? I disapprove of this behavior by people who claim to be a part of the Body of Christ. I disapprove of this "I don't hate you, I just don't approve of you" mentality. Of this invisible wall you're placing between yourself and others.

Christians: you can't disapprove of Trump's wall then build one of your own.

If you grew up in church like me, you've probably heard "be in the world but not of it." But lately, I've been seeing a lot of Christians choose to not be in the world in areas that make them feel uncomfortable. Christians who won't befriend certain people because their sin could 'contaminate' them.

Well guess what?! You were once drenched in sin! You're still sinful; the only difference is you are clothed in grace now... grace you did not deserve, grace you did not earn, and grace that is not only yours to have.

This message of separation is not accomplishing the Church's purpose: to love God and love your neighbors. You can't go and love God on Sunday then only love certain people. All peoples -- heterosexuals and homosexuals -- are your neighbors. You are called to love all. And boycotting and saying hateful things on social media is not accomplishing this.

I understand that there is a line that needs to be drawn. I understand that 'being in but not of' is a difficult line to see. But not being in the world at all is not what we are called to do.

I can't also help but notice the irony of this whole situation. If you've seen the animated version, you can probably agree with me, that when the villagers go and hunt down the beast, that is blatantly wrong. These villagers and Gaston were going to kill him because he wasn't like them... because he was a "beast." Christians... I think it's time to lay down your pitchforks and swords because you don't get to decide whose not worthy of grace.

This became very evident to me after I spent a month overseas. In Ireland, pubs are a core part of the community so naturally, I went to pubs. I never got drunk and I never disapproved of the drunk guys singing next to me. I watched, I listened, I loved. But when I told some people in my church back home, about going around to pubs, they were disapproving. "But drinking is a sin," they said. "Why would you spend time with people who drink?!" I was dumbfounded. I went to Ireland with the intent of loving people, hearing their stories, and immersing myself in their world so that I could understand how to love them even more. I would have just gotten done telling these people something incredible God did and all they took away from it was that I had gone into some pubs...

You can't do a very good job of loving people if you aren't willing to go sit with them.

So to all that are boycotting Disney because they have a gay character, I urge you to see the message you're sending your children. Because the message I am reading loud and clear is that Christians are not to affiliate ourselves with anything gay-related.

And... last I checked, that sounds more like the message of the Pharisees than of Jesus'.

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” -- Mark 2:15-17