I am a Christian. There is a stigma in our society that surrounds Christian attitudes towards LGBT topics. We're seen as bigots and self-righteous hypocrites. We're seen as homophobic and transphobic. The sad thing is that so many Christians have brought those titles upon themselves, and why? Because that's exactly the way they act—with no kindness, no compassion, no humility, but mostly, no love.

What would Jesus do?

That is the question so many of us ask ourselves, yet it is a question many cannot seem to come up with a viable answer for. Although, in all honesty, the answer is rather simple.

There is a memory that haunts me. For the last 10 years it has haunted me. I remember the first time I met a transgender individual. This memory has stayed with me for so long because I remember how terribly she was treated. She was shopping at a grocery store, minding her own business and putting each item into her shopping cart. She never really paused to speak to anyone, but throughout the store people would giggle as she passed. Sometimes they would even make a snide remark. She ignored them, and she proceeded to go to a cash register. The moment she walked up to the register, people began to laugh hysterically right in front of her. I remember her expression even to this day. It was all she could do to keep from crying. I was 10 at the time, and I was not as aware of the LGBT community as I am now, but now that I'm 20, I wonder how many of those that laughed at her were "Christians?" How many of them did not realize that by bullying her they were not being the imitators of Christ that they were called to be?

There's something I need to say regarding my faith in Christ. Personally, I do not believe that it is actually possible to switch from one gender to another. I also do not support gay marriage because I believe with every fiber of my being that God displayed to us his idea for marriage the moment he created Adam and Eve in a perfect and flawless world. Adam and Eve were male and female, and they shared a monogamous marriage with no premarital sex and no divorce. They were faithful to each other. They loved and respected each other.

Through the years, God's idea of marriage became one that was not practiced as much. Polygamous marriages became socially accepted, sex outside of marriage became normal, and couples lost their love and respect for each other, leading to mass numbers of divorces. Even King David, a man after God's own heart, had hundreds of wives. Please understand that I don't point any of this out to condemn anyone for anything, but rather to point out the change in how marriage has been viewed and practiced throughout the centuries, and how things have shifted away from God's creation of marriage.

I don't exactly know what you might call a "traditional" marriage. I'm not sure there is such a thing. But I do know one thing, the marriage of Adam and Eve was the "original" marriage, and all the love and perfection God had hoped for his children was present there in the Garden of Eden, and I believe it is there that he shows us what marriage was intended for. You and I could argue over verses about marriage in the Bible until we're blue in the face, and we may never agree. In all honestly, we don't necessarily have to agree on everything in order to get along. Despite any difference in viewpoint between us, I want you to know, dear friend, if you are a member of the LGBT community, there is one thing I promise you.

I love you.

I love you because my God loves you. I love you because you're a person, just like me. I love you because you are one of God's many masterpieces.

I will never claim to be better than you or anyone else. I believe that every single person on this earth is a sinner in need of God's grace through Jesus Christ. My favorite verse is 1 Timothy 1:15 which states, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them all."

I am the worst of them all. I deserved to be rejected by God, but through Christ I'll never have to be.

I do not want to be a bigot, hypocrite, homophobic, or transphobic, so please don't think that I am those things just because you and I have different viewpoints about how marriage and genders work.

I, as well as all Christians, am called to be an imitator of Christ (Ephesians 5:1), and I'm called to love as he has loved. Loving others does not always equal agreeing with what each other does, but it does always equal being respectful.

I want to be your friend and encourager as we walk through life’s struggles together. I am sorry for the issues that plague you. I'm sorry that bullying exists. I'm sorry that people have the audacity to laugh at you. I'm sorry that there are many parents who disown their LGBT children. I am sorry for the fact that LGBT homelessness is such a problem. I am sorry because murder and suicide rates of LGBT individuals are far too high. Regarding the recent shooting at the Orlando night club and incidents throughout the world like it, I'm sorry that there are people in the world that wish to harm you. I am also sorry that there are people who claim to follow Christ and yet try to justify these senseless and cruel acts as if you in any way "deserved" them. The God I know would not wish these kind of tragedies on anyone. The God I know hurts with those who hurt. He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), and he mourns with those who mourn (Romans 12:15).

So with my faith in Christ as the foundation of my life, acknowledging that there are things you and I will disagree on, I want to stand up for you the way that I know Christ would. I won't encourage sin because, though we all make mistakes, I know that the grace of Christ is meant to liberate us from our chains. Daily he refines those of us who could never earn his grace. Daily he loves each and every one of us who could never earn his love. I can't say that I will ever agree with gay marriage or someone being transgender because I just don't think that that's what God intended for his children, but that doesn't mean I will let people be hateful to you or trample on you. I will oppose those who bully you, especially those who try to bully you in the name of Christ. They obviously don't know Christ. I will oppose the notion that parents should disown the child whose sexual identification or orientation is one of which they don't agree. All parents should love their children unconditionally. I will mourn the loss of life within your community. Your life matters to God and it matters to me.

What would Jesus do? Let me give you this simple answer. He loves you with an everlasting love, and he longs for us all to know him and to know his grace and salvation.

My goal is to be like him. So, my dear LGBT friends, I want you to know that I love you. Many of us do. Please don't let the hateful words of others discourage you from knowing the way that true followers of Christ feel.

Dear LGBT community, you are loved. You will not face this life alone.