So, here it is. This is my proclamation. It will inspire some but most likely sadden or anger many.
I, like many people around the world, have just had a very tough year. A year that has changed me in ways I didn’t see coming, but ways that are better for me in the long run. Most of these changes are subtle, but some of them really aren’t changes, they are simply things that I’ve either finally let go of or have unmasked from my life.
I am a Christian (don’t think that was a secret but this is to clarify). It’s not easy to be a true Christian, not the radical and hateful holy rollers that are too often depicted and accepted as the standard on TV (unfortunately, we know there are many out there like that). I can’t speak for all true Christians, but I can be honest about how I feel and believe that some will agree. It’s hard to be a Christian because we love everyone even when we don’t agree with them and they don’t agree with us. We love even when others hate, and we love even when we have good reason not to.
It’s hard to be a Christian because we see how the world works and know that we will always be separate from it no matter how much we love it.
It’s hard to be a Christian because we have to live with all the atrocities that have occurred throughout history in the name of Christ: rape, pillaging, slavery, genocide, segregation, oppression, brutality, and so much more.
It’s hard to be Christian when it’s not politically correct anymore, when it labels you a radical conservative, and when it labels you a bigot. It’s not an easy thing for a Christian to accept everything that’s written in the Bible, especially when it comes from the Old Testament, but it’s hard to explain why the New Testament is so vital to non-Christians.
It’s hard to be a Christian when several groups of people think you hate them. I can’t deny the turmoil that exists between Christians and the LGTBQ community. Historically, Christians have hunted down and killed, brutalized, and used unfair laws to oppress people of this community. But that’s not what true Christianity is about. I’m not going to lie and say that Christianity is LGTBQ inclusive, but it’s not about hating and oppressing either. It doesn’t matter if I say I don’t hate someone for being LGTBQ and believe they have a right to live their life the way they choose. At the end of the day, I’m still going to privately pray they have a change of heart and mind, and they are still going to be mad at me for not completely accepting them just the way they are. I know what it feels like to not be accepted the way you are and hate to pass that feeling onto anyone else.
I write this with tears in my eyes thinking of LGTBQ people in my life who may never speak to me again after seeing this because I do truly love them, care for them, and will always want the best for them. No matter what, they are a human being and they have touched my life in a positive way, even if for just a little while, and I will never forget them.
It’s hard to be a Christian when everyone in the world seems to be against you, but then you remember the story of Christ and why you believe and you feel a sense of comfort you’ve never been able to find anywhere else. It’s a feeling that you want to share with others. but many times, no one wants to hear about it. Scientists and atheists will tell you that religion is a manifestation of human will and imagination, but if it’s the only thing that makes all the hardships and pains of life worth living through, then why not believe.
It’s hard to be a Christian when other religions are labeled as cooler and more enlightened. I honestly admire anyone who truly believes in something and doesn’t just practice religious rituals out of habit. I don’t expect everyone to believe what I believe. I have, always, and will continue to fight for people’s rights to practice any religion they choose.
It’s hard to be a Christian, but that’s what I am. I accept that I will lose friends over this. This has been a year of lost friendships over racial issues, so I guess it’s time to add on religion. I won’t apologize for it, but I will say “I’m sorry” if this message has upset you. I never intended to cause anyone pain. If me being a Christian is too painful for you, I’ll understand if you never want to see my face, name, and hear or read anything I have to say ever again.
Whether you believe me or not, I want you to live your best life while you can, even if it’s a life I don’t completely understand. I may not march in the parade with you, but I’ll be there to stop anyone who tries to knock you off your float.
Everyone has a right to live the life they want to live, and I have the right to be a Christian.
I have no idea what will happen after this posts. I may be asked to step-down or away from some of the organizations I’m apart of. I honestly don’t know. But, if I have to start from scratch, I guess that’s what I’ll do. I’m not going to stop writing, reading, and spreading my personal message of harmony- living in a world where people agree to disagree and respect the right of everyone to live their best life.
