Do They Call You ‘Different’?

lonely-man

Do people make you feel like you’re different because you’re LGBTQ? Maybe you’re the parent of a child who has been called ‘different’ because they are gay. I want to share a story you might relate to. 🙂

I’m a single man, going on thirty-three

Folks are probably wondering if there’s something wrong with me

Shouldn’t you be married by now? Find a nice girl and settle down?

But God knows that kind of life ain’t in the cards for me

I’m not like most other men

I guess I’ve always been different

I was a mama’s boy, kind of a sensitive kid

They’d say, “Fight back like a man,” but I never did

When other boys would bully me, I’d turn the other cheek

Always gentle, mild, and meek.

Some things you just can’t change;

I’ve always been this way – different.

So do I make you nervous, just a little bit?

Would you want me as your neighbor?

Would you trust me with your kids?

Are you afraid of me ‘cause I’m not like you?

Is there any one of us who isn’t – different?

Some like to criticize the way I live my life

See, I like my wine and I spend my time with a bunch of guys

And I’m not ashamed to admit that some of my best friends

Live their lives – and sometimes die – out on the edge

You might call them whores and freaks

But they’re just like me – different.

So do I make you nervous, just a little bit?

Could you love me as your neighbor?

Would you trust me with your kids?

Are you afraid of me ‘cause I’m not like you?

Is there any one of us who isn’t – different?

My name is Jesus, and I live in Galilee,

And there’s an angry crowd outside right now coming after me.

You’ve never seen such fear, you’ve never seen such hate

And if I’m right, before tonight, I will be betrayed

With a kiss from another man,

That’s how they’ll know I am – different.

I am different.

(The song Different, written by Will Hopkins and Ellen Britton)

Will Hopkins is a gay Christian. He and Ellen Britton wrote this amazing song. When we first heard it, both Rob and I had no idea what was coming at the end of the song, and it moved us to tears.

What an amazing message.

Do people call you different? It’s okay – you’re in great company.