Chinese Translation - M. Ward

Dr. H.C, let us be honest you are my devoted reader and when I leave, these will all be written to you personally.  Maybe.  Probably.

Funny thing Dr. H.C sent this link with her thoughts today.  If you've not read about Anderson Cooper's coming out, please read this piece

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/07/anderson-cooper-the-fact-is-im-gay.html

I would love discuss the respect I have for Anderson Cooper but not now.  I thought this was odd because I  had not heard anything about it, but I had just asked a housemate their thoughts on gay relations.

I have recently moved into a big house of Methodist students.  I call it the Meth House.

I like that there is discussion here.  There is intention here.  There is thought, care and sometimes genuine and unconditional love.

When asked Spiderman replies, "Everyone has the right to happiness.  I'm not going to take that away from anyone,"  he looks at me.  "You know?"

Yeah, I know.  Well put, Webbs.  Really well put, better than I ever have or ever will put anything.

"Why?" he asks.

There is one at work.  One with the Vegan skills that I have not witnessed elsewhere.  He is gay and has attached himself to me which I find to be curious.  Rarely do people seek me, to hang with me, to talk to me.  I am the one to text for random meets, den pops, dinners, talks at the fount.  And yet, the Baker seeks my schedule to be sure we have time together.  He is young, he smokes, drinks, and parties with the best of em.  Post emo, post myspace and on the brink of adulthood, he seeks my thoughts.

Why?

I hate to think he has been burned by religion and upon meeting a loving, nonjudgmental christian has latched on to the idea that God may in fact love him, despite what other Christians have told him.  Despite the image of Christianity he has known.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe this has nothing to do with it.  More likely, meeting such a christian has revived his faith not in God but in people, and maybe just maybe, God's people.

Tonight at house dinner and devotion the question was posed, "How do you set yourself apart?"  In daily life, we are called to be separate.  People should know we are different, lights should shine.  But do they?  What does that look like in your life?  How do you set yourself apart?  I was ashamed at my answer because I wanted it to be stronger.  In all the ways I wished I could answer, I could not.  I hold to a few, the big ones, but even those I have thought to abandon.

Do we love as Christ loved?  If we did, we would be set apart.  People would see.  They would know.