Not Boring Yet

"I know they'll bury me before they hear the whole story."
-Jennifer Knapp from the song "Inside" on her new record Letting Go

Today a friend of mine sent me an e-mail containing a link to this article. I excitedly opened the website seeing that it was about Jennifer Knapp - a singer who I was a moderate fan of when she was in the prime of her Christian music career several years ago. Jennifer Knapp is coming back onto the music scene with the release of her new record Letting Go set to drop in May. The article also revealed something else: Jennifer Knapp is gay. Miss Knapp says in an interview "For many people who buy Christian music or have been familiar with me and my writings as a person of faith, I felt like it [coming out] was the honest thing to do." She goes on to say "I would rather be judged before God as being an honest human being. If I am in any way unpleasing in his sight, I can only hope and pray that he gives me the opportunity to find who I am supposed to be."

The story of Miss Knapp's coming out also hits close to home. Several days I ago I received a text from one of my closest friends. He told me that one of the mothers in the homeschooling circle that my family belonged to several years ago had just found out that one of our friends is gay. To be honest, I had had suspicions for awhile about my friend's sexual orientation, and the news that it was out didn't come as a surprise to me. However, what my friend told me next did come as a surprise. The mother who had just found out declared that our gay friend is no longer welcome in her home. My mouth dropped.

These two incidents, Miss Knapp's coming out and the mother's reaction to my friend's orientation, spurred on my thinking about an issue that I've been thinking about for years: homosexuality and Christianity. Here are some conclusions that I've reached: I believe that throughout the Bible homosexuality is presented as being a sin. I believe that God is not pleased with any homosexual relationship, but I also believe that God loves and still shows grace to people who are in those relationships. I believe that a person can be gay and still be a Christian. I believe that homosexuality is not a choice or a decision, but a result of many factors; however, I believe that living a gay lifestyle is a choice - meaning that there is a distinction between having homosexual attractions and being gay. I'm not going to change my mind about these things.

I have to say that I highly respect and admire Jennifer Knapp for her bravery. I for one am going to continue to support her work, even though I do not agree with her lifestyle. She has reconciled her faith with her attractions, and it is not my place to judge or even comment. It is between her and God.

I know for a fact that God has not said to Miss Knapp that she is no longer welcome in his house.

-Matthias