As promised yesterday, we’ve posted our 3(D) free download on Macklemore’s “Same Love,” a powerful song and video off of today’s album release, The Heist. Homosexuality and same-sex marriage are hot-button cultural issues that we must be processing and discussing with our students. They are in the process of crafting beliefs and behaviors. As these beliefs and behaviors are crafted, our responsibility is to introduce them to, remind them of, and unpack the master plan of the One who created us with the gifts of sexuality, relationships, love, and marriage.
Have you listened to Macklemore’s song? I posted the video in last Friday’s blog. Have you pondered the lyrics? (printed below). As you continue to craft a response that must be balanced and God-honoring, I invite you to read the very personal and compelling words penned by Bryan Magana in his recent blog post, “I’m (Kinda Sorta Yeah Not Really) Gay.” Here’s what Bryan writes. . . and once again, this is worth discussing with your kids. . . .
(feat. Mary Lambert)
‘Cause I could draw, an’ my uncle was, and I kept my room straight
I told my mom tears rushing down my face
She’s like “Ben you’ve loved girls since before pre-k shrimp”
Yea I guess she had a point didn’t she?
Bunch of stereotypes all in my head.
I remember doing the math like, “yea I’m good at little league”
A preconceived idea of what it all meant
For those that liked the same sex
Had the characteristics
The right wing conservatives think it’s a decision
And you can be cured with some treatment and religion
Man made rewiring of a predisposition
Playing god, aw nah here we go
America the brave still fears what we don’t know
And god loves all his children, is somehow forgotten
But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago
I don’t know
And I can’t change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
I’m acting strange
Even if I try
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me
Have you read the YouTube comments lately
“Man, that’s gay” get dropped on the daily
We become so numb to what we’re saying
A culture founded from oppression
Yet we don’t have acceptance for ‘em
Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board
A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it
A gay is synonymous with the lesser
It’s the same hate that’s caused wars from religion
Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment
The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins
It’s human rights for everybody, there is no difference!
Live on and be yourself
When I was at church they taught me something else
If you preach hate at the service those words aren’t anointed
That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned
When everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless
Rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen
I might not be the same, but that’s not important
No freedom till we’re equal, damn right I support it
And I can’t change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
And press play, don’t press pause
Progress, march on
With the veil over our eyes
We turn the back on the cause
Till the day that my uncles can be united by law
When kids are walking ‘round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart
A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are
And a certificate on paper isn’t gonna solve it all
But it’s a damn good place to start
No law is gonna change us
We have to change us
Whatever god we believe in
We come from the same one
Strip away the fear
Underneath it’s all the same love
About time we raised up
And I can’t change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
I’m acting strange
Even if I try
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
Love is patient
Love is kind
Love is patient
Love is kind
(I‘m not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(I‘m not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I‘m not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(I‘m not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I‘m not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(I‘m not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I‘m not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
Love is kind
Walt,
Thanks for addressing these issues. Undoubtedly a part of the water that our culture is swimming in.
just FYI, the “read the rest of Brian’s blog” link doesn’t work. (But the link in your second paragraph does).
Blessings!
Fascinating how they blend 1 Cor. 13 into the song.
dj_illness. . . good catch. . . fixed!
this also goes along with the “if you dont agree with me then you are judging me” mentality. because of this being such a hot topic, people are forgetting that just because we, as Christians, do not agree, does not mean that I am sitting at home “judging” or “hating” people who have different beliefs.
such a crazy time we live in!
thanks for posting this!
I really appreciate the link to Bryan’s blog. He focuses on the right thing – Jesus and our love for the Lord & His way. Bryan is no different than an unmarried heterosexual. Neither has the God given right to sex. I believe if we are teaching our children God’s way and God’s truth from His word, they will understand that God wants abstinence in all cases except marriage between a man and a woman. It’s really not that complicated. In fact, our teens who are trying to live for the Lord should be the most understanding of someone with same sex attraction – because culture tells them both “go ahead” while the Lord says “no”. I love Bryan’s point that he is not defined by his sexual attraction! Our culture says “yes” to anything and wants to define people by their sexual “accomplishments”. How narrow minded – and we’d be right to point that out to our teens as well.