#LoveWon
On June 26, 2015, Love won. The Supreme Court has ruled that same sex marriage is now legal under the 14th Amendment across all 50 states in the United States of America. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Americans can be wed, anywhere in the U.S. After years of protest, arrest, and contest, the battle is over. While this is great news for the LGBTQ community as well as their supporters, there are two things that I want to address:
1.This is not a distraction, this is an
achievement.
While scrolling on my News Feed, I saw someone share an article regarding the 14th Amendment and say: "I'm sorry but this is just another distraction to divert your attention from Racism."
Racism is a plague that People of Color have always dealt with. It will never go away, be ignored, or pushed to the side. There is no bandage to cover the open wound that Racism has inflicted. Racism sits under the umbrella of Discrimination along with Classism, Sexism, and any other "-ism" you can think of. Communities of color are discriminated against, the LGBTQ community is discriminated against, women are discriminated against, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, are all dealing with discrimination in their respective places. All at the same time.
Two injustices can, have, and will co-exist. Someone somewhere is fighting for those injustices all the time. While media outlets often blind us with garbage while important issues go unheard of, this victory for the LGBTQ community is not a distraction. Don't be salty. There are members of their community who are Black Female and Muslim. Are they at the Supreme Court reminding folks that #BlackLivesMatter and that Islam doesn't promote hate the way the media portrays them to be? No they are not. Why? Because the presence of one issue doesn't negate the significance of another. All are equally important and many members of the LGBTQ community are apart of multiple circles of minority. Yes, there is an ethnic cleanse happening in the Dominican Republic. Yes, Pastor Pinckney was laid to rest along with the other 8 shooting victims this week. Yes, individuals from ISIS have performed 3 separate attacks in 3 countries. We have not forgotten these issues. However, right now everyone is celebrating with the LGBTQ community because this is progress. Progress is good. Let them be great!
2. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." - Jesus
My freshman year of Highschool, one of my close friends at the time came out to me. She told me she was a lesbian. I was in shock. I knew nothing about lesbianism or homosexuality. All I "knew" was homosexuality is wrong. After she told me she was gay, I replied: "You're going to hell." She tried to defend herself, she asked me how and I said "Cus homosexuality is against God. You're going to hell." We never spoke again after that. I'm cringing at the thought of how horrible I was to say that to her. I later sincerely apologized when I came to my senses but she never replied to my messages. If she's reading this now somehow I hope she knows how truly sorry I am.
I am a proud believer and follower of Jesus Christ. With that being said, I have to do my best to be Christ-like. Christ always promoted Love. "Do all things with Love", "Love never fails", "Love is the greatest of all things" are many reoccurring phrases throughout the New Testament where we "meet" Jesus Christ in the Bible (not forgetting the many prophecies in the Old Testament, yall can do the research). Christ, being son of God was born without sin. I myself who is not the son of God, was born in sin, and commit sin everyday. No sin is "worse" than the next, and not every sin committed is visible. Jesus Christ taught us to love the sinner, not the sin. Christ loves me despite the lies I've told, the drunkenness, the malicious thoughts, the foul language, the greed - my list can go on and on. Even with what I mentioned, there will be no rallies and protests telling me I'm going to hell, I will not have bibles thrown at me, my family won't disown me, and I will still have a church home.
Christ gave us one task: Love one another as He loves us. I am not God. I can't tell you who's making it where in the end. I also cannot tell someone their truth is not real. I feel like many believers have the right idea in mind but deliver it horribly. It's always the same method:
Dassit! That's our only job! Spread the Gospel and love one another. What we say to everyone should be the Gospel and the Gospel only. Anything else after that should be left unsaid and left for God to say. Let God be God without you saying what He will do to whom.
With that being said, congratulations to the LGBTQ community. We are all on this Earth in search of Happiness and Love. Whether we find it in Christ (which would be nice), in ourselves, or in our spouse, no one should have the power to take that from us. Such things shouldn't be deprived from anyone. They were, but Love won.
Blessings,
Evelyn
"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13:6-8
1.This is not a distraction, this is an
achievement.
While scrolling on my News Feed, I saw someone share an article regarding the 14th Amendment and say: "I'm sorry but this is just another distraction to divert your attention from Racism."
Racism is a plague that People of Color have always dealt with. It will never go away, be ignored, or pushed to the side. There is no bandage to cover the open wound that Racism has inflicted. Racism sits under the umbrella of Discrimination along with Classism, Sexism, and any other "-ism" you can think of. Communities of color are discriminated against, the LGBTQ community is discriminated against, women are discriminated against, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, are all dealing with discrimination in their respective places. All at the same time.
Two injustices can, have, and will co-exist. Someone somewhere is fighting for those injustices all the time. While media outlets often blind us with garbage while important issues go unheard of, this victory for the LGBTQ community is not a distraction. Don't be salty. There are members of their community who are Black Female and Muslim. Are they at the Supreme Court reminding folks that #BlackLivesMatter and that Islam doesn't promote hate the way the media portrays them to be? No they are not. Why? Because the presence of one issue doesn't negate the significance of another. All are equally important and many members of the LGBTQ community are apart of multiple circles of minority. Yes, there is an ethnic cleanse happening in the Dominican Republic. Yes, Pastor Pinckney was laid to rest along with the other 8 shooting victims this week. Yes, individuals from ISIS have performed 3 separate attacks in 3 countries. We have not forgotten these issues. However, right now everyone is celebrating with the LGBTQ community because this is progress. Progress is good. Let them be great!
2. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." - Jesus
My freshman year of Highschool, one of my close friends at the time came out to me. She told me she was a lesbian. I was in shock. I knew nothing about lesbianism or homosexuality. All I "knew" was homosexuality is wrong. After she told me she was gay, I replied: "You're going to hell." She tried to defend herself, she asked me how and I said "Cus homosexuality is against God. You're going to hell." We never spoke again after that. I'm cringing at the thought of how horrible I was to say that to her. I later sincerely apologized when I came to my senses but she never replied to my messages. If she's reading this now somehow I hope she knows how truly sorry I am.
I am a proud believer and follower of Jesus Christ. With that being said, I have to do my best to be Christ-like. Christ always promoted Love. "Do all things with Love", "Love never fails", "Love is the greatest of all things" are many reoccurring phrases throughout the New Testament where we "meet" Jesus Christ in the Bible (not forgetting the many prophecies in the Old Testament, yall can do the research). Christ, being son of God was born without sin. I myself who is not the son of God, was born in sin, and commit sin everyday. No sin is "worse" than the next, and not every sin committed is visible. Jesus Christ taught us to love the sinner, not the sin. Christ loves me despite the lies I've told, the drunkenness, the malicious thoughts, the foul language, the greed - my list can go on and on. Even with what I mentioned, there will be no rallies and protests telling me I'm going to hell, I will not have bibles thrown at me, my family won't disown me, and I will still have a church home.
Christ gave us one task: Love one another as He loves us. I am not God. I can't tell you who's making it where in the end. I also cannot tell someone their truth is not real. I feel like many believers have the right idea in mind but deliver it horribly. It's always the same method:
"I love you [insert Scripture] but God hates your lifestyle and you need to repent because you were not born this way like you think you were,[insert Scripture] Satan has taken over your life. If you continue living this way you will go to hell. [insert scripture]I'm only telling you this because I love you. [insert Scripture]"It sounds like the right way but that is not the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is: "the good news that God provided the way for man to be freed from the penalty of sin . But not all people will be saved from hell; only those who place their faith in Jesus will go to heaven when they die."
Dassit! That's our only job! Spread the Gospel and love one another. What we say to everyone should be the Gospel and the Gospel only. Anything else after that should be left unsaid and left for God to say. Let God be God without you saying what He will do to whom.
With that being said, congratulations to the LGBTQ community. We are all on this Earth in search of Happiness and Love. Whether we find it in Christ (which would be nice), in ourselves, or in our spouse, no one should have the power to take that from us. Such things shouldn't be deprived from anyone. They were, but Love won.
Blessings,
Evelyn
"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13:6-8