I didn’t know anything about Jackie Perry’s life story when I first encountered her Christian rap. I only knew that I was moved by her powerful preaching. This woman can preach, and what she says resonates.
In this video Perry discusses her faith journey. I didn’t not know until I saw this that Jackie Perry is a lesbian. She goes into what that means to her as a Christian. Rather than attempt to bend Christianity to her sexual orientation she has changed her beahavior to fit her understanding of what God requires of her. I know the question of whether someone can who is homosexual can ever truly change their sexual orientation is deeply profound, getting as it does into the core of our self-identification. I also know that it is controversial and rage-making for people on both sides of the question.
Perry’s answer appears to be that, no, she cannot change what she calls her “temptation” to same-sex attraction. But she can refuse to act on it because she sincerely believes that this is what God requires. I don’t have the impression that she has come to this conclusion because of the rules of any church or because of dogma. She says in this video that she was led to this conclusion and to changing her life as a result of the conclusion by the action of the Holy Spirit in her heart.
I am not taking a position on any of this for one simple reason: This is not my temptation.
I don’t know anything about how same sex attraction feels or what it means to the people who experience it. I only know that homosexuals are people and that they are made in God’s image. I have friends and family who are homosexual and they are good, caring, highly competent people. I’ve known other people who are homosexuals who were jerks; mean selfish and dishonest.
In other words, homosexuals are people, with all the complexity and individuality of any other people.
In the final analysis, they, as St Paul said, have to “work out their salvation in fear and trembling.” Just like the rest of us.
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