We Stand with Orlando
I’ve been thinking about Orlando all week. Obviously the whole country and world has been. Many people have written about it more eloquently than I could, but I wanted to just add a voice of support coming from Illustrated Ministry to the LGBTQ community. We stand with you. We stand with Orlando.
I don’t want to get into specific thoughts about gun control or the depressing, embarrassing and maddening way our country talks about guns and our right to bear arms. As we continue to learn more and more about this hate crime and act of violence, and its perpetrator, I think we realize just how far we still have to go in this country before our LGBTQ brothers and sisters feel fully accepted, welcomed and safe.
It is at times like these that churches and those who claim to follow Christ, regardless of their theological beliefs, to make a public stand of solidarity with the LGBTQ community. Around the country, we’ve seen new groups becoming vocal about their support, and even those who have long been supportive are beginning to show it in new ways. Here in Chicago, Fourth Presbyterian Church (a church known for being welcoming of LGBTQ persons) hung a rainbow flag outside of its church doors facing Michigan Ave for the first time.
No More Silence
Christians, people of faith, all of us…we can no longer be silent. We can no longer “love the sinner but hate the sin.” We must stand up for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and let them know that they are loved. We must show them solidarity.
Illustrated Ministry stands with Orlando and grieves the loss of 50 children of God. We believe that every person is a unique and beautiful creation of God, and we will continue to work to make sure that children growing up today know that love is love is love is love is love and that they are loved, no matter what.
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