A Gay Man’s Journey to Jesus
One of the ways the Church is failing is in having an
ongoing, positive yet biblical relationship with friends, relatives and
acquaintances who identify as LGBTQ. Believers in Jesus seem to fall into one
of two extremes: either to join in the celebration of that which the Bible obviously
doesn’t celebrate or to withdraw in revulsion, contempt and judgment. I think
the Jesus way is yet a third option. I believe that Becket Cook’s A Change
of Affection helps Bible-believing Christians to choose that third way.
I came across an interview with Becket Cook while viewing something
else on YouTube. Immediately, I was drawn to the interview. After listening to
Cook, I decided that this book was one of those I wanted to read to help me be
a more caring, understanding and yet biblical Christian in relation to those I
know and care about who identify as LGBTQ.
In the book, Cook recounts his life. He goes into his raising
and early experiences that he believes helped shape him into the man he was. A “chance”
encounter with a Christian group at a coffee shop led to an invitation that
brought on a transformation in his person and thinking regarding Christ, the
Church and identifying as a gay man.
Becket became a new man in Christ. The old was gone and the
new had come. He felt the need to inform his friends and got various reactions.
Cook became a witness for Christ and the new life he had in Him. It even
resulted in him going back to school.
Toward the end of the book, Becket seeks to help others in their
relationships with those who identify as LGBTQ. He emphasizes speaking the
truth in love and shows what the Bible has to say on the subject. Personal examples
of how parents and loved ones dealt with a child or relative who came out he
utilizes to urge Christians toward love, grace and truth.
Becket Cook doesn’t claim to have all the answers. He states
that though his early experiences led to his homosexuality, he avoids saying
that it is a cookie cutter matter. In the end, he exhorts the Church to cling
to truth, to cling to love and to cling to Christ. It is what brought him out
of darkness and into Christ’s marvelous light, as he would see it.
The book trailer
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Christian Book Distributors
His appearance at Biola University
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