Our Gaily Bread: Traditional Evangelism Does Not Work With LGBT People You Have To Be Real

Beat someone with a belt their entire lives or threaten them with death by hanging in the tree their whole life and see if they don't shy away from those things. When the belt becomes the weapon as opposed to the accessory that holds your pants up, you choose alternative ways to accessorize because the belt represents pain.

The name of Jesus is like that in the LGBT community. It has been used as a weapon to repeatedly cut and bash and harm. So it makes sense that when Jesus or God is mentioned it raises some towering walls. 

In order to reach the LGBT community you have to first understand us. That means you have to get in the mix with us, get your hands dirty (so to speak). Many LGBT people are highly sexual people, mainly because that's the act that is the one "forbidden". Its OK for a man to love another man (See David & Jonathan, God "knit" their souls together) but physical intimacy has been the act that offends. 

So sex has been the one aspect of LGBT life that is used as rebellion the most. "I am gonna have sex with whoever in the hell I want, if I'm going to hell, at least I won't be horny." As crude as it sounds, its the truth behind the thoughts. 

Over time, sex gets confused with love and love gets misconstrued as sex and the one true way to express one's love. 

Our job as Christians is to understand this. I am gay and Christian. I am NOT perfect, however, I do try and follow it. I do know that if I ever expect to be an effective representor of Gods love it requires me to know my audience and to actually love them. 

Love them because I AM them. I am gay, I am apart of the LGBT community and I have repeatedly bashed with the Christian stick. 

Reaching LGBT people means having to deal with sexualized conversations and expressions. Then having the fortitude to express GENUINE love back. 

I know the love of the Father and want my LGBT family to know it to. That's what a friend does, "hey, this feels way better than sex, I want you to experience it to, and the best part is I am still very gay and God is totally okay with that." 

Reaching out isn't hard, its called love. Love us actually and you will actually reach us.

With Love
Jeff Utnage