Love the sinner, not their sin

Having attended a Christian church of one denomination or another since 1985, my deepest regret was how the church dealt with those who were professed homosexuals.

While it certainly is appropriate to call a spade a spade (i.e. homosexuality is sinful behavior), denigrating those who have fallen short of God's glory is perhaps the most hypocritical thing any human being can engage in. Think about it. We've all committed (and may still be committing) sinful behaviors in our lives. How do we expect to ever overcome and reconcile ourselves to God if members of His body ostracize we sinners from His house?

At a recent pride parade, one specific group of Christians looked to make amends.

(A)t a pride parade this past weekend in Marikina, a city just east of the Phillipines' capital of Manila, a group of Christians gathered to say something different: I'm sorry.

Members of the Church of Freedom in Christ Ministries stood at the main entrance of the parade holding signs that offered apologies for how the LGBT community has been treated by Christians.

Their banners read, "We're here to apologize for the ways that we as Christians have harmed the LGBT community."

In reading this story, I don't get a sense that this Christian group was sanctioning the homosexual lifestyle as much as they were attempting to embody the love of Jesus. I see this as something all Christians should aspire to.

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