Following the Law of Love
May 4, 2009

Back in 2009, a former high-school acquaintance of mine inquired of me how I could both be gay and call myself a Christian. Obviously, for her, the Bible appeared to contradict the two stances that I so blatantly heralded. This essay, although I don't think I even sent it to her, was my response.


The purpose of life is to love. Motives and intentions will often change. But our purpose is to create through love and love through creation. Sex matters not, race neither matters. Political affiliations count not. Creeds and vows often fade, but love always lasts.

I was asked yesterday how being gay and being a follower of Christ can coincide when they (according to this particular woman) seemed so contradictory.

I can only think of one explanation. But it is important to note that I once both fought and defended against this stance ad-nauseum and I can not any longer. I have spouted scriptures. I have pleaded contextual filters. I have logicized and theorized and rationalized this topic. I have written papers and read countless books and chapters – thumbing through glossaries for any and all references to my attractions. I have analyzed sin. I have debated righteousness, salvation, heaven, and hell; God and Satan, Jesus and his word, written and unwritten. I have argued against and for. And I've grown tired of these superficial discourses, monologues, dialogues, and often contentious diatribes.

However, there is something that pervades my consciousness above all things I have read, studied, and/or heard. And that is this: He who has ears let him hear and he who has eyes let him see. The letter of the law killeth but the spirit giveth life (2 Corinthians 3:6).

I am persuaded that my faith and relationship with the Divine is not weakened or counted as null and void merely due to my sexuality. Instead, in the reality and the unchanging nature of my body’s proclivities towards the same-sex, my relationship and faith is far more real and ascertainable. I have become more spiritually connected because of these attractions and I believe in this connection more surely now, despite others' beliefs to the contrary. I know what the physical word says – the black and white of it. I’ve been over it time and time again. But my faith is built on nothing less that Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

He would have me to love my neighbor, to live peaceably with all men as much as possible. To forgive. To strive for peace, unity, compassion, justice, and equality. To understand before I am sought to be understood. To love myself and to love my God. To help the poor, to assist the weak. To pray for those who work against me and to love my enemy. To be faithful to the call of life, hope, faith, and love.

Like a good Samaritan, to help those less fortunate than myself. To sacrifice for the betterment of others. To strive for the peace of all mankind. To heal the brokenhearted. To move to a place of healing those that have been wounded. To minister to those who have been ostracized, demeaned, abused, forgotten, neglected, hurt, segregated, and outcast. To stand in the gap for those who can not stand at all. To give vision to those who lack sight. To believe for those who have lost hope. To love those who have been walled. To break the shackles that bind. To tear down the bondages of addictions, curses, and prisons.

My sexuality is inconsequential towards these ends. And my heart is not so distant from my God’s. Truly, He not only knows me but provides for me and protects me as a lover shield’s his own soul.

There is, therefore, no longer a defense I have for myself than the life I live due to my encounter and relationship with the Divine. That is all I have. I am a follower of the Spirit of Christ. My spirit is not my sexuality and the two can not, and shall never be, equated. I will be judged not on who I loved but on HOW I loved. I will not be judged on how eloquent my arguments are, or were, nor on whether I won every debate, but on how gracious, forgiving, merciful, and loving I was to my opponents, enemies, and those who would sooner have me killed.

The Bible says that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control are the fruits of the tree and the spirit which should be manifested in my life. And against such fruit there is NO law. And the ultimate law is to love the Lord your God with all your strength, heart, soul, and mind and to love your neighbor (and love yourself) for we are ALL created in His likeness. The ultimate law of love will produce the nine fruits of the Spirit. And without the Law of Love there is nothing less than those things which contradict the fruit of the spirit. And against such a law (the Law of Love) their remains only lawlessness, purposelessness, chaos, and destruction.

Therefore, with intent, I follow THIS law!