A couple of days ago I wrote a post titled "Ears to Hear" ... a post about the emotions and feelings I had as we filmed Nate Phelps and his brother Mark chatting in front of Westboro Baptist Church. Read that sentence again ... the post was about my own emotions and feelings as I saw Westboro up close and personal for the first time. The post wasn't about being gay or about promoting gay rights or espousing the gay lifestyle. The post wasn't about returning hate for hate. The post wasn't about the Bible or God or anything spiritual for that matter. Again ... the post was about my own emotions and feelings as I saw and felt Westboro up close and personal for the first time. The post was about the horrible, devastating, life-altering effects of child abuse and vitriolic hate. The post was about the strength and courage of Nate and Mark Phelps and how far they have come. The post was about loving ... the post was about listening ... the post was about living.
For reasons I will never understand, that post has stirred up some controversy. I'm not saying controversy is a bad thing ... for me, controversy often forces me to search my own heart as I seek to discover the truth. What bugs me about this particular round of controversy is that it really has nothing to do with what I wrote ... really ... seriously ... nothing to do with the words I wrote. Whether it's the public comments on the post itself or the emails and private messages I've received, I can't for the life of me figure out how or why what I wrote in "Ears to Hear" ended up becoming the basis for yet another round of not very nice commentary concerning my relationship with God and my sexuality. Nope ... I just don't understand that one at all, and I've been trying for the last two days to convince myself not to respond at all. I do that way more than any of you know, by the way ... keep quiet and not respond, that is ... way, way, way more than you will ever, ever know. Obviously, since I'm writing this post, I have failed in my attempt to remain silent this time around ... oh well, it's not the first time, nor will it be the last time, I've been deemed a failure. Again, I say ... oh well. Get ready, cause here it comes ...
To those who hurl Bible verses as if launching a burning arrow with the intent to set me ablaze ... verses which more often than not are taken completely out of context, I might add ... you need to do some more reading. There are a multitude of verses that talk about love and compassion and kindness ... a gigantically hugely staggering multitude of verses that command us to love God and one another ... verses that instruct us to show compassion to every single person we encounter on the journey of life ... verses that dictate that we be kind to our fellow man. There are far, far, far more verses concerning our need to support one another, encourage one another, lift one another up and carry one another's burdens than there are about homosexuality. Before you shoot those verses at me or anyone else, you need to do some more reading, friends ... you need to do a heck of a lot more reading before you get your panties all tied up in the big old gigantic knot of judgment and condemnation. I'll do you one better ... some of you need to be much, much, much more concerned about the knotted, twisted panties of your hearts than you do about my relationship with God or my sexuality.
Now I'm sure you're wondering what in the world all of this has to do with my sweet little granddaughter being a sponge for everything she sees and hears, so please allow me to explain ...
Children aren't the only ones who soak in what they hear ... they aren't the only ones who try to emulate what they hear ... they aren't the only ones who end up getting punished because they repeated what they heard someone else say. Go ahead ... think about it ... think long and hard about it before you attack, before you spew hate, before you condemn, before you try to use God's Word as a weapon. Why? Because there are sponges all around you every single day of your life ... sponges young and old who are listening to everything you say.
"Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him (or her), always expect the best of him (or her), and always stand your ground in defending him (or her). There are three things that remain - faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, 13.
Those words are from the Bible, you know ... the very same Bible so many choose to use as a weapon against those whom they judge and condemn. No offense, but I think I prefer the Bible that comes from a place of love rather than hate ... I think I do indeed.
Oh, crap ... are you wearing knotted panties?
To those who hurl Bible verses as if launching a burning arrow with the intent to set me ablaze ... verses which more often than not are taken completely out of context, I might add ... you need to do some more reading. There are a multitude of verses that talk about love and compassion and kindness ... a gigantically hugely staggering multitude of verses that command us to love God and one another ... verses that instruct us to show compassion to every single person we encounter on the journey of life ... verses that dictate that we be kind to our fellow man. There are far, far, far more verses concerning our need to support one another, encourage one another, lift one another up and carry one another's burdens than there are about homosexuality. Before you shoot those verses at me or anyone else, you need to do some more reading, friends ... you need to do a heck of a lot more reading before you get your panties all tied up in the big old gigantic knot of judgment and condemnation. I'll do you one better ... some of you need to be much, much, much more concerned about the knotted, twisted panties of your hearts than you do about my relationship with God or my sexuality.
Now I'm sure you're wondering what in the world all of this has to do with my sweet little granddaughter being a sponge for everything she sees and hears, so please allow me to explain ...
Children aren't the only ones who soak in what they hear ... they aren't the only ones who try to emulate what they hear ... they aren't the only ones who end up getting punished because they repeated what they heard someone else say. Go ahead ... think about it ... think long and hard about it before you attack, before you spew hate, before you condemn, before you try to use God's Word as a weapon. Why? Because there are sponges all around you every single day of your life ... sponges young and old who are listening to everything you say.
"Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him (or her), always expect the best of him (or her), and always stand your ground in defending him (or her). There are three things that remain - faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, 13.
Those words are from the Bible, you know ... the very same Bible so many choose to use as a weapon against those whom they judge and condemn. No offense, but I think I prefer the Bible that comes from a place of love rather than hate ... I think I do indeed.
Oh, crap ... are you wearing knotted panties?
1 comment:
Bravo Terrie!!! I'm glad you spoke up and shared the truth. God is about love. You're wonderful and God loves you!
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