THIS PERVERSION OF CONVERSION

"I MADE YOU AND NOT YOU YOURSELF"

“I KNEW YOU BEFORE YOU WERE FORMED IN YOUR MOTHER’S WOMB, I CONCEIVED YOU.”

IN THE JOURNEY OF CHRISTIANDOM, THE LGBT COMMUNITIES ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHOSE TRANSFIGURATION FROM SINNER TO SAINT, FROM WORLDLY TO HOLY IS CALLED A CONVERSION.

ALCOHOLICS ARE SAVED, CHANGED FROM THEIR WAYS, THEIR BEHAVIORS.

WHOREMONGERS, THIEVES, LIARS, ADULTERERS, ABUSERS AND ALL OTHER MANNER OF PERSON WHO LIVE A LIFE THAT THE FUNDAMENTALIST ESTABLISHMENT CONSIDERATION OUTSIDE OF THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD, ARE SAID TO BE CHANGED.YET, WE ARE CONVERTED. THE CHURCH KNEW THAT THEY COULDN’T TELL US TO CHANGE. THEY KNEW THAT WAS AN ARROGANT AND IGNORANT REQUEST. WE CAN NO SOONER CHANGE THAN WHITE CAN TO BLACK OR SHORT TO TALL. SO THEY PULL UP A LOFTIER WORD THAT SOUNDS MORE BIBLICAL IN ITS AUTHORITY—CONVERSION.

WHAT IS, INDEED, THIS THING—CONVERSION. WHAT IS THE CHURCH SAYING WHEN IT TALKS OF HOMOSEXUAL BEING CONVERTED, FROM ONE LIFESTYLE, IF YOU WILL, TO ANOTHER. WERE NOT PEOPLE HANGING OUT IN THE CLUBS AND DRINKING AND SMOKING AND SEXING LIVING ONE LIFESTYLE AND THEN, ARE SAVED, AND MOVE FORWARD TO LIVE ANOTHER? THEN, WHY, ARE HOMOSEXUALS SAID TO BE CONVERTED.LISTEN INDEED, AS WE CONSIDER THE SLIGHT BUT SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE IN THE WORDS AND MEANING OF CONVERSION VERSUS CHANGE:

TO CONVERT MEANS:
1. To change (something) into another form, substance, state, or product; transform: convert water into ice.
2. To change (something) from one use, function, or purpose to another; adapt to a new or different purpose: convert a forest into farmland.
3. To persuade or induce to adopt a particular religion, faith, or belief: convert pagans to Christianity; was converted to pacifism by the war.
BUT, WE THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST ARE CALLED TO BE AGENTS OF CHANGE AND TO CHANGE MEANS:
To cause to be different, To give a completely different form or appearance to; transform: changed the yard into a garden. To give and receive reciprocally; interchange: change places.

WHILE WE, MEN AND WOMEN OF EARTH WOULD LOVE BELIEVE, WITH ALL OF OUR SCIENCE AND MASTERS, OUR TRICKS AND OUR TRIUMPHS, TO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE POWER TO MANDATE A CONVERSION, WE OFTEN HAVE ONLY BROUGHT ABOUT CHANGE.AS MUCH AS CREAM OF NATURE AND REVLON WANT TO MAKE YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE CONVERTED YOUR BRUNETTE TO BLONDE OR YOUR KINKY TO STRAIGHT OR WAVY, THE ARRIVAL OF NEW GROWTHM REMINDS US THAT WE HAVE ONLY CAUSED A CHANGE IN THE HAIR, NOT A CONVERSION. TO CHANGE SIMPLY MEANS TO CAUSE TO BE DIFFERENT. WE ARE THE ARMBEARERS OF CHANGE. WE ARE THE VISUAL EXMAPLES OF CHANGE. SOMEONE WANTS TO CHANGE WHO THEY ARE AND HOW THEY LIVE BY LOOKING AT WHAT THAT CHANGE HAS BROUGHT ABOUT IN OTHERS.

SO, THEN, WHAT IS THIS RECENT PHENOMENON OF CONVERSION. THIS IDEA OF MAN THAT SOMEHOW THEY ARE ABLE TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT GOD MADE IN ONE FORM AND CONVERT IT TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF ITS ORIGIN, ITS CREATION, ITS ORIENTATION IF YOU WILL

TO SUGGEST THAT GOD MANDATES A CONVERSION OF THOSE OF US WHO ARE HOMOSEXUAL INTO SOME OTHER FORM IS TO SUGGEST THAT GOD HAD STEPPED OUT OF THE ROOM WHILE WE WERE IN LIFE’S OVEN COOKING.WHEN GOD FIRST HEARD JAMES BALDWIN SAY ALOUD THAT HE SOUGHT THE LOVE OF GOODHEARTED MAN WHO WASN’T AFRAID TO LIVE LIFE WITHOUT FEAR, GOD SAT ON HIGH AND SAID: WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT WILLIS?

WHEN GOD HEARD AUDRE LORDE SPEAK WITH PROSE AND PASSION OF THE AFFECTION AND CONNECTION OF SISTERLOVE, GOD SAID ALOUD: I DON’T KNOW

WHEN GOD FIRST HEARD TELL THAT GERTRUDE STEIN WAS WORKING ON WOMEN’S CAUSES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A WOMAN WHO LOVED WOMEN, THAT SOMEHOW GOD UTTERED-- DID I DO THAT?
SOMEONE DARE INTIMATE THAT WHEN GOD FIRST JONATHAN STAND BEFORE HIM AND VOW TO DAVID TO KNIT HIS SOUL TO HIM AND GAVE HIM ALL THAT HE HAD, THAT GOD SAID--WHAT’S THAT? WHAT’S HAPPENING? WHAT’S GOING ON HERE, HONEY?

THAT WHEN INFORMED THAT YOUNG KEVIN EDWARD TAYLOR LOVED HIM AND ONE DAY, WANTED TO SERVE AS A PASTOR AND HELP BRING THOSE WHO WERE THROWN UP, THROWN OUT AND THROWN AROUND BY THE CHURCH BACK INTO THE HOUSE OF GOD, JUST AS THEY WERE, THAT THE GOD I SERVE SAID—HOLD UP! WAIT A MINUTE!

SEE, WE CHANGE THINGS, PRAISE GOD, BUT ONLY GOD CAN CONVERT.

THE GOD I SERVE HAS NEVER HEALED A BLIND MAN WHO HAD TO WEAR GLASSES NOR HAS GOD EVER HEALED A LAME MAN WHO NEEDED TO USE CRUTCHES.

WHEN GOD MODIFIES A THING, IT IS NO LONGER WHAT IS WAS! WHEN MY OWN MOTHER ASKED THE LORD TO TAKE THE TASTE OF ALCOHOL FROM HER MOUTH, IT WAS GONE. SHE WASN’T STILL SIPPING ON A LITTLE WINE EVERY NOW AND THEN. GOD HAD CONVERTED HER FROM THAT WHICH SHE WAS INTO A NEW CREATURE.YOU ARE HERE TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S HEARTS AND CHANGE PEOPLE’S MINDS SO THAT YOU CAN BRING THEM TO GOD THAT GOD MIGHT CONVERT THEM FROM LOST TO FOUND, FROM BLIND TO SIGHTED, FROM CRACK ADDICT TO DRUG COUNSELOR, FROM WHOREMONGER TO HIV PEER EDUCATOR, FROM BROKEN TO BUILDER, FROM SINNER TO SAINT. ONLY GOD CAN CAUSE A THING TO BE CONVERTED AND GOD DIDN’T CREATE ANYTHING THAT GOD THEN FOUND IT NECESSARY TO CONVERT.

GOD SEES US LOST IN THE WORLD AND WANTS US TO KNOW THIS….I MADE YOU AND NOT YOU YOURSELF. I KNOW YOU AND I KNEW ALL ABOUT YOU, EVEN WHILE YOU WERE STRUGGLING WITH IT. I KNEW IT WHEN I PUT THAT BLACK FAMILY IN THAT WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU FELT DIFFERENT. I KNEW IT WHEN I PLACED THAT GIRL IN THAT BOY’S SPORT TEAM, YOU FELT DIFFERENT. WHEN YOU THE ONLY ONE IN YOUR FAMILY DREAMING BIG DREAMS EVEN FROM THE PROJECTS, YOU FELT DIFFERENT. AND GOD SAID, I DIDN’T CHANGE YOU THAT YOU WOULD GIVE UP ON YOURSELF BECAUSE OF THOSE DIFFERENCES. I USED THOSE DIFFERENCES FOR THE GOOD OF YOU AND BECAUSE YOU HELD ONTO MY HAND, I DIDN’T JUST CHANGE YOUR SURROUNDINGS, I CONVERTED YOUR OUTCOME.

WE ARE COMMANDED TO CHANGE.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT TEMPTATION, IT’S ABOUT ORIENTATION. BUT YOU HAVE BEEN CHANGED FROM TRYING TO SLEEP WITH EVERY MAN TO FINDING THE ONE MAN WITH WHOM YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO SPEND YOUR LIFE. YOU WENT FROM A LIFE OF WHOREMONGERING AND ALCOHOL AND YOUR FIRST RELATIONSHIP WAS WITH SOME MAN MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLDER THAN YOU, BUT NOW, YOU WANT CHANGE AND TO CHANGE. THAT HAPPENS IN GOD AND THERE IS NO CONVERSION IN THE WORLD, BUT CONVERSION IN GOD. THAT CONVERSION IS IN THE TRANSFORMING OF YOUR MIND..."BE YE RENEWED BY THE TRANSFORMING OF YOUR MIND."

THEY SAY THAT DOCTORS OFTEN PLAY GOD, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH IN THEIR HANDS, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH PLAYS GOD MORE THAN GEORGE BURNS AND MORGAN FREEMAN COMBINED. THEY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE CALLED TO BE CONVERTED. THAT IF YOU SUIT UP FOR THE ARMY OF THE FUNDAMENTALIST, THEN YOU ARE SOMEHOW NO LONGER THAT LITTLE BOY WHO JUMPED ROPE, THAT LITTLE GIRL WHO RIPPED OFF DRESSES, THAT LITTLE CHILD WHO COULD OUT COOK HIS OWN MOMMA AT 8. THAT DIDN’T CHANGE. YOU DIDN'T CHANGE. IT HAPPENED LONG BEFORE YOU HAD EVER BEEN MADE AWARE OF YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION. GOD KNEW YOU.IT MIGHT GET ROUGH SOMETIMES AND PEOPLE MIGHT TELL YOU ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PRAY AND FAST AND YOU WILL CHANGE, BUT ITS NOT YOUR ORIENTATION THAT MUST CHANGE IN PRAYER. IT'S YOUR HABITS, YOUR BEHAVIORS.

IN GOD, THERE MUST BE A CONVERSION, A CHANGE OF HEART. YOUR LIFE AND YOUR SEXUALITY ARE NOT ABOUT AN ABOMINATION OF GOD, FOR GOD COMMANDED THAT YOU ARE WONDERFULLY AND BEAUTIFULLY MADE. BUT THE THINGS THAT YOU DO IN TRYING TO FIND YOURSELF, TO BE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR SKIN OR ACCEPTED IN YOUR COMMUNITIES CAN MAKE YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ARE NOT KNOWN TO GOD. BUT REST ASSURED, GOD KNOWS YOU AND KNEW YOU BEFORE YOU WERE. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING TO BE CONVERTED. CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD, WITHOUT THE INFLUENCES OF GAY PRIDE AND TV AND "THE WHITE MAN" HAVE KNOWN TWO-SPIRITED PEOPLE FOR MILLENNIA AND BEFORE WE EVER DEBATED IT IN MEGACHURCHES AND NATIONAL ELECTIONS.

TO BE CONVERTED, YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE A MISTAKE. I AM NOT A MISTAKE. GOD DOESN'T MAKE MISTAKES. WE DO.

WE DO WHEN WE TRY TO DRINK IT AWAY, SMOKE IT AWAY, SEX IT AWAY, LIE IT AWAY. I HEARD THIS ONE DAY AND IT CHANGED MY HEART ABOUT TRYING TO DEFEND WHAT GOD HAS CREATED IN ME:

"I WOULD RATHER BE HATED FOR WHO I AM THEN LOVED FOR WHO I AM NOT!"

I AM GOD'S SON. I LIVE IN THAT. I TRUST THAT.

UNTIL I GET HOME TO TALK TO DADDY, I BELIEVE THAT AND LIVE MY CHRISTIAN LIFE ACCORDINGLY!