It’s the end of June 2023, and PRIDE month ended. I expect if you’re reading Wisdom's Dwelling, you’re already someone who recognizes that supporting the LGBTQ+ community is important–which is great. As a parent to 3 children who identify in some way as part of this community, I agree–supporting Pride month is just something we do. But as the month comes to an end, I have to stop and think if we, as Christians, are doing enough. Did Jesus really only intend for us to embrace the gay community for just one month out of the year? Perhaps you’ve read that last line and thought to yourself, ‘oh but I love the LGBTQ+ community all year long’–which is exactly what I said in my mind, but then I stopped to think. Am I really, truly doing everything I can to love this community of people who have been hated, discriminated against and ostracized from many faith communities, let alone the general public?
1 Corinthians 13:4–8a (ESV) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Recently, someone asked me how my 12 year old son identifies, and to be sure, I stopped and doubled check with him to see what his pronouns are–they are still he/him. Why is this even a question to be asked? Well my sweet son has pink hair to his shoulders, pierced ears and sometimes prefers to wear femme styles. Last month at Disney World, our child was misgendered by servers and cast members at least twice a day. This didn’t really phase him, but my husband and I always took notice to make sure that he was still feeling ok. You see, up until a few months ago, my husband and I were still trying to categorize our son into a label that we could understand. It seemed easier if we could say he is non-binary, or possibly gay–but he’s 12, and none of those labels apply yet–and maybe they never will. One day we realized that his journey is his own–and the most important thing as parents that we needed to worry about is that he knows he is loved for who he is. Period. We don’t need to understand exactly what our son is or isn’t, what matters is that he knows that we will always support him, without question. Our son, like every person on this earth, deserves unconditional love like what is demonstrated by the words of First Corinthians–because this love isn’t just meant for one kind of people, it's meant for all of God’s children.
So as Pride month comes to an end, I hope you’ll join me in my goal for the YEAR of making this kind of radical love the norm. It is truly through loving others that we get to experience the true love of God has for each of us. Happy PRIDE!