Prayer/love requests: A beloved battling cancer; a child, just out, sure to face bigotry

The woman who so graciously volunteered to translate my/our book UNFAIR: Why the “Christian” View of Gays Doesn’t Work into Spanish (and who wishes to remain anonymous) has asked for prayers. It seems an elderly relative, terribly dear to her, is battling cancer. She writes:

I do not know how much she has been told, but I have just talked to her, and she is losing hope. I would be very grateful if you could send some prayers her way. I understand that maybe she won’t survive, but if that is what has to happen (and that would suck, to be honest), at least I would like her to have happier days, no pain, and to be comforted. Above all I want her to live, but it is getting harder and harder to sincerely pray for something I do not expect to happen. So if you could help me with that, it would really rock. Her name is Olga.

Also, off my Facebook page yesterday a woman sent me this:

Hey John,

First of all, thank you for all you do to fight bigotry and homophobia in the church. It’s truly been a blessing to me.

I’m writing because I want to tell you about my intelligent, loving child. My child, who is twenty-four, just came out to me as pansexual, and identifies as genderqueer. (I’ll admit, I had to look up both terms.) It filled me with joy that my child knew they could be their authentic self with me, and felt no fear or shame in doing so. I can’t express to you how proud I am of the person my child has become.

The thing that scares me, though, is how other family members, namely my child’s father, will react if and when my child comes out to them. It disgusts me that the majority of my family (siblings, parents, ex-husband) are raging homophobes, and think nothing of making disparaging comments about people who aren’t straight. My child is brave, and although I don’t believe s/he will come out to the homophobes anytime soon, I know eventually s/he will. (The “s/he” reference is how, I have learned, some genderqueer people like to be identified.)

Can you please ask your blog followers who pray to please keep my child in their prayers as s/he continues this journey, and that when s/he finally does come out to everyone, s/he’ll be strong enough to withstand the bigotry?

Thank you and blessing to you.

Our dearest thanks to anyone out there kind enough to say a prayer and/or send some love to these good people.