Dear Phobic Christian,
I see how angry you are, how consumed with hatred you are; how relentless, myopic, and bitter you’ve become.
I see how addled with fears and false stories your religion has left you.
It grieves me deeply to see you doing what you’re doing, what you’ve been doing for so long—and what you’ve become as a result. Your incessant attacks on LGBTQ human beings are the rotten fruit of a faith that has grown toxic, one that needs an enemy to feel valid.
I’m not sure how you ended up thinking that this was somehow your most noble calling or what good you believe you’re accomplishing or exactly what your end game is, but I hope you hear me because I am telling you in respect, with compassion and love:
You’re wasting daylight here.
You’re squandering precious breath.
You’re fighting a battle that you can’t possibly win and weren’t asked to wage to begin with.
God is not in this holy war with you no matter how much your pastor or politician or favorite news show host wants you to believe.
Changing someone’s sexual orientation or altering their gender identity are simply not your business.
They’re out of your jurisdiction,
they’re way above your pay grade,
and they’re far beyond your control.
And yet Christian, because there is so much that is within your control, here is some unsolicited but hopefully useful advice for you with whatever precious, fleeting moments you have left on this planet:
Stop spending so much time and energy trying to make gay people “not gay” or transgender people “not transgender”—it isn’t going to happen.
Instead, try spending that time and energy, making:
hungry people less hungry,
hurting people less hurt,
lonely people not feel alone,
victimized people not feel victimized,
invisible people feel seen,
bullied people feel protected,
grieving people feel comforted.
Those things you actually can accomplish and Jesus did explicitly call you to them.
He states that this redemptive work is his business and so it should be yours.
Love is the only worthwhile theology you have.
This is how he said he would determine your love for him: not by the signs you hold,
the insults you hurl, the coldness you deliver, the relationships you sever, the protests you mount, the havoc you wreak.
Because while you’ve been busy bothering LGBTQ people, a waiting and weary multitude has passed by you looking for the hope and help and healing you’ve supposed to offer them—and you have missed it all. In fact, worse than that, you have become a source of wounding.
Just look around you.
Possibility for goodness is everywhere.
It’s right in front of you.
You’ve been given this time and space and your heartbeat all as priceless gifts.
Don’t miss the chance to use them and don’t waste them.
There are hopeless situations that you can step into, blessings you can provide, people you can care for, paths you can beautifully alter, healing you can accomplish, prayers you can answer, wounds you can mend, kindnesses you can extend—right now.
The question is, do you really want any of that or are you married to this ultimately fruitless cause that is doing nothing real but damage?
The clock is ticking.
The sun is fading.
Time is wasting.
People are waiting.
Christian, do something worthy of it all.
