What Gays Have In Common with Jesus
By Andy Heath
Ahh Jesus, everyone loves Jesus. Sometimes I think everyone loves Jesus but me. In that way I'm a little lonely because at Easter no one wants to hear my Jesus jokes.
Still, it's no secret that I believe there are a number of biblical characters that I believe to be gay (Jesus is actually not one of them, however). Still, gays have a lot in common with Jesus. What, you ask?
People hated Jesus. They really did. The Roman government was so afraid that Jesus might incite a revolt that they actually put him to death in one of the most hideous ways possible. Anyone else want to die while hanging in the air with only a few rusty nails to keep you in place. The Pharisees also hated Jesus. According to what I have read in the Bible, assuming it is true, Jesus put them in their place. He took these learned scholars that everyone else respected and made them look like fools.
Along the same vein, people hate gays. The government is afraid of us and does everything it can to deny us equal rights in hope that we will not realize our true potential. Christian ministers (yes, this is the parallel to the Pharisees in the paragraph above) are afraid of us because if we get our rights, people are really going to get over hating us, and that will make them look like fools since they've been saying we were of the Devil for so many years. Honestly, I think they're all dreading the day when scientists prove that homosexuality is not a choice. They're probably planning what to say to that even now.
But, people also loved Jesus. That's true too. Not only did they hate him, some people loved him. How could you not love someone that just touches you so you can walk after being paralyzed all your life. Even toddlers have to learn how to walk, but not those healed by Jesus. They got up and danced… didn't they? He loved people. He accepted people. He helped people love themselves. And that's why people love him.
Amazingly this is also why some people love gays. We can heal your self esteem; we really can. We tell fat women they're beautiful because they are. We see that beauty that straight men do not. We tell our female friends how nice their hair looks since they dyed it when their husbands didn't even notice. We love people. We accept people. We help people love themselves. That's why people love us, just like they loved Jesus.
Did you ever see the interesting parallel between how Matthew Shepherd died and how Jesus died. It's such an irony that the Christians would do to an innocent gay man what the Romans did to the Christians' very own founder. I'm sure Jesus would be proud. I certainly am. Maybe I will start praying to Matthew Shepherd, and to be honest, I hope the spirit of Matthew Shepherd is with me and with all of gay people because we need his courage and experience.
Gays are afraid. So was Jesus as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemone. Jesus was humble. Gays often are too, for we have a history of denying ourselves our own happiness just so our mothers and fathers can boast about us to their friends. Jesus suffered. So do we. You have no idea unless you are gay.
Gays and Jesus are alike in many ways. And the Christian ironies and hypocrisy continue…
