Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

Marin was stunned when three of his friends came out of the closet. How could he reconcile members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community to his faith? Attempting to wrestle with that, he provides an inside look at the gay community and offers strategies to build bridges between GBLT people, Christians---and the gospel

Andrew Marin is president and founder of The Marin Foundation, a nonprofit organization that seeks to build bridges between the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and religious communities.

Andrew Marin's life changed forever when his three best friends came out to him in three consecutive months. Suddenly he was confronted with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community (GLBT) firsthand. And he was compelled to understand how he could reconcile his friends to his faith.

In an attempt to answer that question, he and his wife relocated to Boystown, a predominantly GLBT community in Chicago. And from his experience and wrestling has come his book, Love Is an Orientation, a work which elevates the conversation between Christianity and the GLBT community, moving the focus from genetics to gospel, where it really belongs.

Love Is an Orientation is changing the conversation about sexuality and spirituality, and building bridges from the GLBT community to the Christian community and, more importantly, to the good news of Jesus Christ.

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Reviewed by Jeremy Myers (Otisville, NY 10963), April 24, 2009

In a world that increasingly welcomes and accepts those of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual (GLBT) orientation, Christians must open their eyes and ears to what GLBT people are saying about God, the Scriptures, the church, and human sexuality. This is especially true if we want to minister among them. Andrew Marin is one Christian who is pioneering the way. In his book, Andrew Marin provides an excellent overview of the absolute necessity for Christians to build bridges to those people who are in the GLBT community. As Christ took the initiative and came to us, we must take the initiative in building bridges of hope and love to others. Thankfully, Andrew Marin is not writing theoretically, but from years of experience from living among the GLBT community as the “gayest straight person in the world.” The book provides excellent insights and guidelines for working alongside and developing relationships with people in the GLBT community. For example, Andrew advises the four of the most important things Christians can do are (1) love, (2) listen, (3) don't judge, and (4) seek friendship and conversation. Also, he recommends we stop saying "Love the sinner; hate the sin" and referring to those in the GLBT community as "homosexuals." Both, he explains, are derogatory. One helpful feature of the book is the answers to the five main questions that are on the minds of most Christians. The questions are: 1. Do you think that gays and lesbians are born that way? 2. Do you think homosexuality is a sin? 3. Can a GLBT person change? 4. Do you think that someone can be gay and a Christian? 5. Are GLBT people going to hell? I imagine that as you read this short review, one or two of these questions crossed your mind as well. I believe that Marin provided some excellent answers to these questions in his book. Sadly, I don't have room to reproduce the answers here...so I guess you'll just have to buy and read the book for yourself.

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