Created by God

It is a momentous time in the movement for equality for LGBTQ people. Marriage Equality has now reached the US capital Washington, DC. The Soulforce Equality Ride is on the road again bringing a message of affirmation for LGBTQ people where that message might not be heard. What a time it is to be involved in the LGBTQ rights movement. So much work is being done but so much more is left to do and as such I wanted to start my next post based off of a post a friend of mine made on the Gay Christian Network. My friend (Matthew, a seminary student at BU) posted this:

“My sexuality is an expression of the diversity that God created into nature. Diversity is not a result of sin. It is all part of God's plan. As for myself I believe God made me gay in a fallen world and he would have made me gay in a hypothetical non-fallen world. I believe that it is homophobia and hate that are results of the sin of the world. Those are the things that come from sin”

There is much more to his post then just this quote but this is what really struck me. I hear so often people say that homosexuality is the result of our fallen world. They make it sound as if the sexual orientation of a segment of the population was just an accident. Well I am standing up today and saying this is wrong. The sexuality and gender identity of LGBTQ people IS NOT an accident. God created us each to be diverse individuals. People come in so many different ways, shapes, sizes, hair color, eye color, skin color, etc. So why is it so hard to believe that sexuality and gender identity would be part of that beautiful diversity?

In Jer. 1:5 God say ““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Now this was a message to Jeremiah calling him to be a prophet but I think it also speaks to the idea that God knows us even before we are born and that God puts us together,creating us into a unique creation. This means my sexuality can not be an accident because it is a part of who I am, a God created part of my identity. This idea that God would rather all of the world be heterosexual but because of sin coming into the world this accidental sexuality exists is based on a heterocentric worldview and denies the very creation of God. Look throughout the animal kingdom, this diversity of sexuality also exists there. So the next time someone is trying tell you that this homosexuality is the result of fallen humanity kindly remind them the it is homophobia and hatred that are the result of sin and that sexuality and gender identity are a part of the beautifully diverse creation of God.