Dear Breakfast Dude,

I also like to people watch while I sit by myself in the cafeteria for breakfast, but you have to make it look casual. What you're doing is called "staring me down".... What's your problem dude?

♥, 
C.

Dear "Christians,"

I'm not going to lie. Lately, I've been ashamed to call myself a Christian. It's not that I'm embarrassed that I believe in God, or Creation, or Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection. I would gladly tell anyone who asks (and some who don't), what I believe. No, instead I'm ashamed of being categorized with other so-called Christians. I do not want people to lump me in a category of those who can only be called hypocrites. To be frank, I think God is probably quite embarrassed, too. 

As you can probably already tell, this post is going to be offensive. And  it's about homosexuality. If you can't handle these topics, do us both a favor and just stop reading, but let's be honest, if you feel like you need to stop here, this post was actually directed at you. I never, ever talk politics. I hate disturbing the peace.This is not political. I'm not taking sides in any debate. I just want to bring your attention to something. The peace was already absent. If you thought we were living in peace, you've been just as naive as I have. It's time to wake up.

Like I said, I'm not taking sides on anything. I just want to show you something. This is not about looking at reasons for or against homosexuality. I think the recent wave of suicides (actually, I call it mass murder, but whatever) due to bullying calls for a response. Of love. 

We Christians like to talk about how Jesus spent time with the people that religious zealots would have nothing to do with. Personally, I think we talk about it so much because we like knowing He would've been hanging out with "us" instead of "them."  But how do you think that translates to today's time period? If Jesus was here tonight, who would he be having dinner with? It's pretty easy to translate at least two groups because they exist today like they did then: the prostitutes and the poor. So, yeah, of course he would've had dinner with the ladies down on Magnolia and hung out at the shelter. Don't you ever stop to think of why? It was not just because of their social status. Zacchaeus was the opposite of the poor dudes at the shelter. Mary and Martha certainly weren't prostitutes. So what is it? Why did Jesus eat with such a variety of people?

God loves everyone.

Love should be the biggest message we, as Christians, put forth. I don't care where you get your Biblical references for why homosexuality is a sin (Old Testament, New Testament, Version A or B), Jesus said LOVE is the greatest commandment. It's important to note who said this: It wasn't Moses, or Paul, or Mary. It was God in the flesh! Sin happens when you break the rules, God's rules. So if we have the greatest commandment here (in case you missed it: LOVE), what must be the greatest sin? The absence of love. 

At this point you might be like, "Oh, I'm definitely off the hook. I don't hate anyone." I didn't say anything about hate. Sure hate is bad, sinful, whatever, too, but not hating someone does not mean you love them. Love is a verb, guys. A verb is an action.

If you take nothing else from this, please hear me right now: Love is an action. It requires movement. You have to DO something! 

Please, lives are being taken. This is murder, guys; it's serious. At this point, we are beyond political debate. Now, I'm through being naive; I know we can never have complete peace. But we can make a difference. Starting now. Wear your heart on your sleeve; put love into action. 

♥,
C.