As a Christian, I believe God created all people in His image, and He made each of us exactly as we are supposed to be. In divided times like these, I am truly baffled by some of my fellow followers and their decisions to discriminate and hate others different than themselves. Christians get upset when people see them as evil, hateful, or anything of the sort (and I'm not saying I don't act like that sometimes because I do), but people often talk about Christians in this light because they can be all or some of those things. However, it is our responsibility to change that perspective and show how loving we really are and should be.
God sent His son Jesus to the Earth so He could show us how to love others like He does, and so He could show us love, as well. Christianity is constantly clouded with rules and regulations, but at the base of the Bible, the main underlying principle is love... to love everyone and to be loved.
If you treat others in an unkind/unloving manner, how can you ever expect them to love you?
Jesus Christ was around some of the most controversial people of His time period: prostitutes, tax collectors, etc. You name a type of person that would be shamed when Jesus was around, and He loved them and spent time with them.
I'm a big believer in the ways God works through us (meaning, if someone feels they might not love the opposite sex, or maybe they don't associate themselves with a certain gender, then I personally believe there's probably a reason for that). I see the way God works through people, and I see the way He worked through me, as well, and I know these people should be accepted for who they are.
I'm not saying these things are right or wrong (or that your personal opinion is wrong according to these ideas), but I believe these things are right because God created us all in His perfect image.
Even if you believe homosexuality, or any other controversial topic of our time period is sinful, then I expect you will evaluate your own life to find you yourself are not as perfect as you think.
All sins are equal, so even if you personally think these things are sin, your small white lies are just as sinful as these other "sins".
Also, just because someone is different than you, doesn't mean they don't know Jesus (because a whole lot of people do, not just you or the people you hang out with). God calls us to love all people, not just those exactly like us or think the same way as us.
I can tell you personally I am not always perfect in my everyday battle to love all people. Sometimes, I get frustrated with people who disagree with me, but I remind myself they are worthy and deserve to have their own opinions.
I hope if you read this, you understand I, by no means, believe I am a "know-it-all" Christian. I can't recite 30 different Bible verses, I haven't read the Bible cover to cover, I don't know everything regarding my faith, and I probably never will. Yet, I do know one of the first things children or new Christians learn is to love your neighbor as yourself and to go as far as loving your enemy. I also know the word "love" itself is used in the Bible over 300 times (more or less, depending on the version)!
This article is not mean to "call anyone out" or to make anyone feel bad about themselves! I just want people to take a minute and think about how they love others (because no one is perfect).
I believe one of the things this world could use a lot more of is love, and I hope you believe the same.
