Rent

I saw a production of “Rent” this past weekend.  The theatre department at my school put it on.  WOW, do we have some talent here!  They sounded amazing together.  I came close to crying many times throughout the show.  For those of you who haven’t seen it, Rent is rock musical about a group of friends, most of whom are dying of HIV AIDS.  It follows a year in their life, chronicling their journey with each other and the disease.  Like most modern musicals, it makes you think and reflect.  I watched as one girl pole danced, another started a lesbian relationships, a third watched his gay partner die.  I just wanted to run up on stage, hold each one in my arms and ask “WHY? Why are you doing this to yourselves? Go back home! Go to college! You can have a wonderful, prosperous life.  You don’t need to be rebellious!” 

How tragic that this is very prevalent in American society.  We’ve told people that truth does not exist and whatever feels right to them is the correct path.  We’ve led them straight to their deaths; we should feel intense shame.  Every time you treat someone’s sexual struggle with anything less than empathy and sincere love, you have helped push them down a path you don’t want them to go.  Please don’t misunderstand me.  I’m a firm believer in personal responsibility.  People need to own up to the responsibilities of their actions.  But that includes us.  I’m sick of people pointing a finger at gay communities while failing to examine their own hearts.  

If you have ever prayed for God to break your heart with the things that break His, you should not allow your heart to feel disdain and anger at people who are hurting.  Even if it is of their own doing.  The prodigal son received censure only from his brother.  His father’s arms were held open for the day when the prodigal would return.  

Blessings,
Em

p.s. Here are my two favorite songs from the musical!

Hey, Christian: get a life!

Yesterday, I received an e-newsletter from one of my favorite authors, Linda Windsor.  Windsor writes Christian Romance Novels, but she fills her books with humor and reality and steers far away from bland preachy-ness that you expect when the word “Christian” book jumps out at you.  However, in this newsletter, she had written an apology.  This is the second time I’d read this apology, as she’d sent it out to her mailing list before, as well. 

If you really care to know the details, here is the link on her website that includes it.  It’s under ‘Apologies’, about 2/3 down the page.    The gist, however, is that people found a place where her main character swore and decided to write to her, telling her what they thought of that.  I hope they’ve seen her public apology and are feeling terrible. 

These  people could have gone on her website, read her  newsletters, etc. and they’d have found the truth: that her husband had just died.  That the fact she could even continue writing was a near-miracle and Wedding Bell Blues was written in a complete fog of grief.  She honestly had no recollection of writing that single ‘damn’ in her book and was sincerely as shocked as the others.  Great way to add to a fellow-Christian’s grief, guys! 

Since we’re in the Good Friday/Easter Sunday mood, let me tell you a story of another man and what he did shortly before the first ‘Good’ Friday.  A great man, a man who swore like the sailor he was . . . a man who followed Jesus Christ.  Here’s an excerpt from my personal Devotions Journal, written January 21, 2008:

 . . . . . “Then there’s Peter’s betrayal of Jesus.  Here’s what I never caught before: the third time Peter denies Jesus, he’s so angry (and probably scared) that he starts swearing.  Matthew 26:74: ‘Then he [Peter] began to curse and swear . . .’  This is one reason I love Peter so much: the man is authentic.  He’s spent three years walking and fellow-shipping with God Himself, yet still swears when angry and stressed.  He’s still the lower-class fisherman–and I don’t think it’s a bad thing.  This isn’t condoning swearing, it’s being real.  If Peter were alive today, the world could not accuse him of being ‘goody-goody’ or self-righteous.  He’d have a better witness than the church!”  

Was Peter wrong to swear?  Sure he was.  Just like he wrongly denied Jesus and stabbed his Friend in the back!  But Christians don’t like to talk about Peter.  The church seems to be ashamed of him.  Heck, he’s my favorite apostle, by far.  But most Christians are “Paul-ites”.  The repentant and pious apostle makes them feel more comfortable.  Guess what?  If you’re a Christian, you aren’t called to be comfortable!  I would much rather be in a room full of good non-Christians who swore than one preachy person.  Trust me,  I really do know what it’s like. 

But let’s not stop here.  No, let’s keep going to one more author.  Angela Hunt.  Another Christian Romance novelist.  Another of my favorites.  She’s deep and even more realistic than the above Linda Windsor.  She’s honestly one of the most talented and amazing writers I’ve ever read–in both Christian and secular circles.  She had comments to her books posted on a newsletter of hers, as well.  To be fair, she posted both praise and critical comments she’d received.  And boy, was the critical one a whopper of a critique! 

It seems this individual was very upset and refused to finish reading her book when this person came across a gay character.  This person vented an entire paragraph on her disappointment and how Hunt’s books, as a Christian author, should be above such a standard. 

Are you kidding me??? Honey, you don’t have to like it, but no one is forcing you to read the book.  I later read Doesn’t She Look Natural by Angela Hunt.  I can’t say with 100% certainty that this was the same book that was complained about, but I know of no other Angela Hunt book that included a homosexual. 

Let me tell you something about this gay character.  He shows up in the book for one page . . . two at the very most.  He is a celibate gay.  He is a Christian.  I have a feeling he will become more important as the series continues, but in the first book, he’s merely introduced. 

I cannot believe people’s audacity.  Are any of you reading this homosexual yourselves?  How does this make you feel?  I’m guessing you aren’t surprised in the least; you probably encounter this a lot.  This hypocrisy of Christians who go around claiming ‘I hate the sin, not the sinner’ . . . and then won’t look you in the eye.  The people who say their religion is one of forgiveness, love and redemption; they are in need of Christ’s grace, too . . . then they turn around and treat you like a black mark.  People that condemn preaching hate, but end up sounding way too similar to Fred Phelps, themselves.

Angela Hunt’s response to this comment was that she did, indeed, have gay friends.  That her disagreeing with their chosen lifestyle did not make the relationship impossible.  She was daring enough to place this in her books, and got shot down for it.  Now, I don’t think it really affected her.  She never apologized for it; she shouldn’t.  She did nothing wrong.  But she did sacrifice some readers to reveal this truth. 

Now, here’s what I want to know.  After telling only two circumstances of Christian writers doing their best to give Christian Lit a better name and stereotype and what happened to them, I’m upset.  Do you judgmental Christians seriously have nothing better to do than fire complaints and hate-mail?!?  Do you not have a job, a family, a hobby . . . something that’s actually productive with which to spend your energy and time?  If not, I have a suggestion.

Try actually reading your Bible, for once.