I Have a Friend
Photo by Bas Masseus from Pexels I have a friend. He is a friend who to others might seem as an odd friend for me. This friend is a straight, evangelical, well-known in famous evangelical circles man who does one thing when he interacts with me. He doesn't tell me that I'm living a life of sin as a lesbian woman, nor does he pray for my deliverance in my face. He doesn't shun me in his presence, refuse to make eye contact, frown at me, shout at me, or quote Scripture about the sin of homosexuality. No, this man is my friend. To be honest, I really have no idea how he feels about me being a lesbian or about the LGBTQA+ community. But I do know this. I know he loves me, and the reason I know this is because of the text messages he sends to me. His most recent text ended with these words: "Keep serving the Lord." And then it hit me! My friend is like the Apostle Paul, the author of a great many New Testament books. He is an encourager, writing short notes to spur