You are enough. You belong. You have value.

Written by Jennah Engen

I recently saw a post that said,

“Pride is important because someone tonight believes they are better off dead than being gay.”

If you’re like me, reading this brings tears to your eyes. Not only am I gutted to the core that someone believes that their life is not worth living because of who they love, but..

I am devasted by the fact that the Christian community has contributed to this belief.

Traditionally, the Church has looked at homosexuality as wrong and defended this stance by using the six Bible verses known as the “clobber passages.” Similarly, Christians have used the phrase “hate the sin, love the sinner” to condemn people’s attraction to the same sex. But why is it that God’s gracious acceptance and unconditional love does not apply to members of the LGBTQ+ community?

As I look back at the month of June, I reflect on Pride and the significance of this month for the LGBTQ+ community.

What began as a protest has now become essential for the community as it allows members and allies the opportunity to come together during the month to be heard and recognized.

It is a time when people who are marginalized, stigmatized, and often oppressed can freely celebrate and be themselves.

For JesusFit, Pride allows us to come alongside the LGBTQ+ community to not only listen, learn, and love but to proudly proclaim the following truths:

You are enough. You belong. You have value. And there is always a place for you at the table.

As Dave Tomlinson writes in “How to Be a Bad Christian, “whenever conditions are attached to God’s love, the gospel is undermined and falsified.” We are all made in the image of God and his love is unconditional.

Happy Pride, not just in June but all year long!!

Love, Jennah