Yes, I have lied before.

Yes, I have stolen candy from a grocery store before.

Yes, I have cursed and said the Lord’s name in vain.

All of these things are Biblical sins. These are all actions that God has instructed us not to do. But as you read them, you probably thought, “Oh, that’s no big deal. Everyone has done that.” So when I say the next thing, keep an open mind.

Gay is okay.

What? Offended? Why? Because the Bible says that man shall not lay with man and woman should not lay with woman? That’s true, the Bible does say that. It also says you shouldn’t get divorced, you shouldn’t have pre-marital sex, you shouldn’t lie, and you shouldn’t steal. But those things are so common in today’s society that we all turn the other cheek to them.

I don’t want to argue or offend. I’m not here to preach that everyone sucks and we all fall short of God’s glory with sin. We all know that happens every day, to every single one of us.

I’m only here to say one thing: I don’t care who’s gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. I don’t care who you love or how you choose to express it. It doesn’t matter to me. And why?

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

-Matthew 7:1-2

As a Christian, I am not called to judge you and tell you that you are wrong and I am right. I am not here to tell you that you are living your life wrong or loving people incorrectly. I am not called to act better than you.

As a Christian, I am called to love you. I am called to always find something in everyone that is worthy of love; and I believe that search is short and easy when you open your heart to those who are different from you.

As Christians, we are instructed to share the gospel. Gospel translates into “the good news”. And it is very, very good news. God forgives us of our sins. He shows us the purest, most important form of love that there is: His love in unconditional. That’s amazing news. The gospel is not that God doesn’t love you, or loves you less, because of your sins. Let’s not spread that news around.

For this reason, it hurts my heart when I see protesters with signs that say, “God hates gays” or something that similarly says the same thing. I was taught, and I choose to believe, that God loves you. God loves you and you and you and me. God loves you. I can never say this enough. You were made in His image; He thinks you’re beautiful and wonderful and so so incredibly lovable. He loves your smile and your heart and your soul.

And He loves me (sorry to sound braggy, but I’m really happy about that). I choose to foster that love and do my part to help it grow by obeying as much as I can. I fall short. For the love of all the goodness in the world, I and my family and my friends know all too well that I fall short daily.

One of God’s commands to me is to love everyone that I can. Another command, one that I try to take very seriously, is to never ever judge people. Again, I fall short in both departments. Loving our neighbors and loving our enemies is extremely hard.

One thing that makes it easier for me: I don’t view the LGBTQ+ community as my enemy. I love them. I love their pride, their hearts, their fearlessness, and their reckless optimism. I am different from them, but I am not better.

So no, I am not offended by the Gay Pride Parades. I am not offended by the rainbow flags. I am not offended when I see two men or two women holding hands. I love that they are happy and free and in love. Love is all that matters, and we should choose, every day, to spread that love around.