Gay or Straight or...huh?

"Contradictions in evangelicalism are clear. Take divorce, for example, a sin Jesus spoke clearly about. The divorce rate of evangelical Christians now surpasses that of the rest of the population in the United States. Evangelicals are getting divorced and gay folks are wanting to get married and the religionists keep accusing homosexuals of destroying the family." -Quote from "Jesus For President" pg 233

We have a neighbor who is a transvestite. Not someone who you wonder about but the obviously man dressed as a women situation. This person usually is talking to himself and acting in a manner that unfortunately draws even more attention to him. I noticed this person walking down the street as our family was working in our yard Saturday. At first I was wondering about how Micah was going to react to seeing this person meandering down the sidewalk in a quite flamboyant way. I felt a tinge of disgust at first but then as he passed by a house on the other side of the street that changed. My disgust turned to concern as I saw a pack of bandana, shaved headed homies come strutting out of the house like wild west gunslingers through a saloon door. They were laughing and pointing at him and for a moment I wondered if they were going to do something violent to this person. There I stood frozen, in a split second I found myself on the verge of coming to the potential defense of this human peacock that was strutting down the street. My feelings went from judgment to compassion, it was an interesting flush of dichotomy. But the potential dance of death passed and everyone went their separate ways...just another afternoon on 5th Ave.

I wrestle at times with the way this world is changing....and my place as a loving disciple of Jesus within it. My community is confronting and challenging me to make room for more and more confused, broken, different, odd, offensive, newly defined cultural situations; that leave me with questions more than answers. It's often a confusing and vulnerable place to be. But love has a way of breaking in unlikely moments and showing that sometimes God has chosen the weak and foolish to confound the strong and the wise. This is a mystery indeed.