Caleb Kaltenbach
[The author] was raised by LGBT parents, marched in gay pride parades as a youngster, and experienced firsthand the hatred and bitterness of some Christians toward his family. But then Caleb surprised everyone, including himself, by becoming a Christian…and a pastor. Very few issues in Christianity are as divisive as the acceptance of the LGBT community in the church. As a pastor and as a person with beloved family members living a gay lifestyle, Caleb had to face this issue with courage and grace. [This book] shows us that Jesus’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” doesn’t have an exception clause for a gay “neighbor”—or for that matter, any other “neighbor” we might find it hard to relate to. Jesus loved everyone without compromising truth. So can we. Even when it’s messy.
I borrowed this book from the library as part of an ongoing discussion among the elders at Valley Christian Church about LGBTQ+ issues. The book does a great job of meshing the author's personal history with a general discussion about loving people without excusing their sin...and that includes ourselves, because gay people aren't the only sinners in the world, duh! Kaltenbach writes with a graciousness that models how we should "deal with" our neighbors. I'm glad he included thoughts on not only our individual responsibility to love like Jesus but how it would look to live this out as a local church family (though I wish he would have offered some practical answers to a list of questions he said "messy churches" need to consider).
First Line: For a couple of minutes after I pulled into the church parking lot, I continued to sit in my Ford Escape, my hands gripping the steering wheel as if I were still driving.
Page 56 / Line 5: During this season in Southern California, an unfortunate attitude of "us versus them" prevailed.
A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: God's Word should never be a catalyst for us to mistreat those who are different from us.
Last Line: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
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