Christian Rock Band In Hot Water Over ‘Jesus Loves You’ Message

WHO knew that there’s a Christian rock band in Texas called Seventh Day Slumber?

I certainly didn’t until I read today that the band received a rude awakening after posting the image above on its Facebook page.

The picture – showing Jesus embracing someone’s idea of what a terrified gay teen looks like – was accompanied by a message from lead singer Joseph Rojas:

This picture is a powerful reminder of who God is, how God loves, and how none of us are out of His reach! You can come to Him in your hurt, you can come to Him in your pain, you can come to Him in your sin, you can come to Him in your brokenness.

He loves you where you’re at. He also loves you too much to leave you there. Be kind to one another. You never know what someone has been through.

Christianity Daily reports that the band is now having to deal with a backlash, and that several venues have cancelled their upcoming gigs.

More than 8,000 comments, both favourable and critical, have been left on the post, which has been shared almost 3,000 times.

Rojas, above, has said that he is willing to speak with any pastor who has hired the band and would want to address the subject in further depth.

He pointed out in a follow up post that the band has never advocated for a sinful lifestyle in their more than 20 years of ministry, instead urging followers to:

Come to [Jesus] as flawed as you are, as broken as you are, as confused as you are. Come to Him with your questions and your anger. Just come.

On June 10, Rojas addressed his followers and advised them not to allow angry homophobes to prevent them from openly loving people and ministering to those who are in need of help.

He went on to relate his experience of overcoming “the sin of cocaine addiction”, as well as other drug addictions, and how his mother never stopped praying for him.

Rojas also appealed to those who have been wronged by the church not to lose their faith in Jesus.

John Matarazzo, presenter of “Along The Way” on the Charisma Podcast Network, explained that the month of June has become an annual event in which the LGBT community:

Expresses their pleasure in their respective lifestyles. The rainbow, originally intended to be a sign of God’s pledge to never again destroy the planet by a flood, has now been taken by the LGBT as a symbol of pride in a sinful lifestyle.