GMB recently posted a series about suicide and what steps can be taken to prevent it. This was an eye opening series about life, death and how far some people fall into the deep depths of depression. GMB said that he had a friend who was "...disappointed that his sexuality was not fixed by prayer and a mission. [He] attempted suicide weeks before his scheduled return date".
When I read those words, I started to cry. They hit me like a ton of bricks. I have never been suicidal, nor have I been so depressed to seriously think about ending my life here on this beautiful earth. But, somehow, this young man thought that religion had all the answers to questions and he almost ended his life. He went to draw hope from the well of living water and his bucket came back empty.
I want my voice to be one of hope. I want gay members of the Christian faith to realize that they are not broken. They are not wrong. They are not damned. They are Sons and Daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. There are those in this world that love and appreciate them. If they are not surrounded by voices of hope, I just pray that one voice of hope can reach them.
There is so much to live for. Alan Ball, screenwriter of "American Beauty" ends the film with a beautiful monologue:
"It's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst...and then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain. And I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life. You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry...you will someday."
If only we can show others how to see the beauty, hope, and love that exists in this world then maybe their eyes will be opened to see as we see.
Thank you so much for this post. I think that it is one of your more profound ones. Yesterday I saw a book entitled, "Weakness is Not Sin" and I thought of you. Not because I think that you are weak or anything. It was because so often members pass judgement on the homosexual community and they don't see that the feelings of temptations, the attraction to the opposite sex, is not a sin. I feel bad for the man you talked about because I think that he failed to realize that there was nothing sinful about his feelings.
ReplyDeleteI love you! :)
Beautiful post Andy. Thank you. I hope your voice is heard.
ReplyDeleteAndy, Thanks for adding your voice. Only together can we truly grow in strength against the growing tide of suicides.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Andy, not only for the thoughtful post but also your ambition to be a hopeful voice in the Gay Mormon Bloggersphere.
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