Gay

"I'm Gay" once meant a person was telling you her name.  Now it means something totally different. Now it means a person's same-sex sexual orientation.

Homosexuality, whether it be gay or lesbian is in the forefront of the media wherever you look.

Yes even in Botswana, although it is deemed illegal, there is a support group who was recently awarded by the courts the right to be an officially registered organisation.  Some see it as a victory and some see it as the opposite.

I hear that, in Australia, there is yet another gay marriage push in the Federal Parliament.

In the UK, we have friends who have experienced a nightmare in recent years in relation to their young son because the official position of the country is to allow gay marriage and so what is being taught in schools is in line with that...and if a parent is found to contradict it, they face problems.

Some friends here have a young adult daughter who is in a lesbian relationship and a teenage son living in the UK who has announced he is in a gay relationship.

But  we see the response of Christians around the world generally polarised - either they are vehemently and verbally opposed or else totally accepting of it as 'normal'.

However, a cause of rejoicing is that there are many in the evangelical churches that are seeing a need to respond in truth and in love.  There is also a willingness of some of those who have struggled (or still struggle) with same sex attraction or have in the past been in a same-sex relationship, to share their story and God's grace in enabling them to overcome and live according to God's good plan for sex.

We would like to recommend a particular article that has just come 'across our desk' called 'Seven Things I Wish My Pastor Knew About My Homosexuality', as well as a video of a sermon by Kevin DeYoung based on his new book 'What does the Bible really teach about homosexuality' and the follow-on superb panel discussion featuring Jackie Hill Perry who prior to coming to Christ was in a lesbian relationship, but is now married and a mother.

.....and if you want another good book to read on the matter, 'The Secret thoughts of an Unlikely Convert' which is the autobiography of Rosaia Butterfield is highly recommended or 'What some of you were' published by Matthias Media or links to other good and helpful articles and books here

This is not a matter that Christians should be silent on, but what we say and how we say it is vital to whether the truth is heard and people understand truly what God says about the subject and the hope God has for those in the midst of it.