Tim Lewis and Christelle Lerryn had me on the Oh No Not Another Live Show to talk about the intersection of faith and sexuality, mental health among LGBT+ people, and modern monasticism.

Here's two highlights:

1. Why should Christians care about LGBT+ topics?

First and foremost, Christians should care about gay people because they're made in the image of God. They deserve dignity and community. At 5-10% of the population, the chances of having at least one LGBT+ kid is high.

Plus, care for LGBT+ people shares the gospel. When non-Christians are surveyed about their hesitancy to give Jesus a chance, they consistently report Christian's perceived mistreatment of gay people as their #1 barrier.

Plain and simple, if churches learn to love gay people better according to God's wisdom, more people will get to know Jesus.

2. Are gay people commonly survivors of trauma?

Gay people spend an average of 5 years in the closet, without the love and wisdom of their parents. The closet is a trauma experience, leading to a laundry list of wounds most gay people spend a lifetime attempting to heal:

loneliness,
shame,
anxiety,
depression,
self-destructive copying mechanisms,
abandoning God's wisdom,
loss of faith altogether, and/or
suicidality.

If you love or care for gay people, (a) expect to find lingering wounds of the closet, (b) invite them to connect with and share about their closet trauma, and (c) embody the healing love of Jesus in your relationship.

Watch/listen to the rest of the show at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr0xELmvqhk