“Challenging a Straight Church,” Jerome Stueart’s sweet face, his historical brotherhood in the Christian faith, his Yukon spiritual family’s judgment, “Fall from Grace”É a media movie docudrama!
Raised as a PK (preacher’s kid) in a Texas Baptist Congregation, Stueart, 31 years old, disturbed by his anger about gays, honestly questioned his sexuality.
By 2004, Stueart “realized I was fine and normal,” but still uncertain, waited until Easter 2009. Five years, silent, agonizing, not absolutely certain; Stueart tells trusted friends, in his northern Christian family, I’m gay.
Stueart understands that “It’s not the beginning of the apocalypse to let gay and lesbian people come into your church, have community with them, and affirm them for who they are. God and Christianity aren’t that fragile.”
I agree, our God is not fragile. I have learned human relationships are.
Imagine believing, for eight years, Stueart, a spiritual member of your community church, a Deacon, a respected member of your congregation, (homosexuality is one of numerous sins taught, but through both temporal and spiritual lenses, a subjective evaluation É worse than stealing, lying or adultery) tells you he is gay. What would you think? What would you do?
We, so human É and by grace, Christian, though we are taught better, rush too quickly, too easily to judgment.
Spare Riverdale Baptist. Spare Stueart, with our self-righteous judgements.
I do often ponder love (Corinthians 13); when does loving someone become a sin? Is it when I’ve loved too little? Is it when I’ve loved too late? Or is it when I’ve loved the wrong person?
Maybe all three!
Thank God, He knows.
Valerie Fromme
Whitehorse