To my LGBT friend,
When you feel discriminated because I do not approve of same-sex marriage, please try to understand it’s not because I view you as less deserving of love. NO! On the contrary, I want you to experience the BEST KIND of love there is in this world!
When you feel condemned because I view the act of being in an intimate and sexual relationship with the same sex to be wrong, please don’t let that stop us from being friends, because I am NOT condemning YOU. It’s just that my morals find this wrong, in the same way that I find the practice of premarital sex between man and woman wrong. I know you see many flaws in my life as well. My sins are plain to you. You know how I can get impatient when I’m driving. You know how easily I can be proud. You know how prone I am to spreading gossip. I am no better. I am a sinner as much as you are. Please understand that the only reason I pointed out your wrong is because like a friend, I also want you to point out whatever it is that I am doing wrong, especially when I am not aware of it.
When I come across as someone “holier than thou”, please remind me that I too am a sinner.
If I have not been a listening ear to you and instead have chosen to be a constant reminder of our differences, I ask for your forgiveness.
When the voice of my brothers and sisters deafen you with poor choice of words and hurtful stares, please forgive them. That is not right. When all they see YOU for is your gender rather than the person that you are, I apologize. That breaks my heart. You are more than your gender, in the same way that I am more than my gender. A sexual preference/orientation does not and should not determine one’s heart, one’s character, one’s ability to help people, and one’s love for others. I am saddened when your gender is the only thing that people notice.
Lastly, I ask for your heart to be bigger than mine. Because right now, you will not understand me. What I view as wrong, you view as right. And that’s okay. For now. Let’s end it here. And if you believe in God, can we pray? That God will show us the way to live. That He will be the one to convict us of our wrongs. Because in the end, we are only accountable to Him. But if you don’t believe in God, then I ask of you to respect my faith, the same way I will respect your decision. The only reason why I am adamant and passionate about my belief is because this is how I understand life to be. This is how I understand LOVE to be – as how my Jesus showed it being our Just Judge and Merciful Savior. I want to make my Jesus happy. This is how I find purpose and meaning.
But again, if we cannot see eye to eye on this matter, let’s agree to disagree on it as friends. I will love you and I ask that you love me still. We can build a friendship that is not confined by our differences, but a friendship that is motivated by LOVE. This is all I ask of you. I know it’s hard. I know you will doubt the genuineness of my affection for you simply because we do not agree on this one thing that you hold dear. But I promise you, I will love you. Not only because you are worth loving, but mainly because I am a recipient of PERFECT LOVE– one that I can never deserve. I too, like you, fall short in many ways, but God’s love saved me, transformed me, and compelled me to love.
So…until the day comes when we can see things from the same perspective, let’s be friends. Like what you guys say, let’s let “LOVE” WIN… and by “LOVE” I mean TRUE LOVE…the all-encompassing love that compels us to live NOT just for humanity, but for something BIGGER, something GREATER…May we all find that LOVE.
With LOVE,
Your Bible-believing Christian friend
*blog entry made on FEBRUARY 20, 2016
Robyn Rodriguez 