“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.”
2 Corinthians 5:16

I had many friends growing up. As boys, we all loved playing football, baseball, basketball, army, etc. This one boy never did quite fit in. He was not very athletic or coordinated. His father used to pick on him for being a “wimp”. He was constantly being put down by others. Looking back, I don’t think he ever felt accepted by anyone. He heard the name calling his whole life. When we were in High School he seemed to accept what every one else had told him he was. Taking on this identity he seemed to finally find the acceptance he had always longed for. I think for many people today homosexuality is a refuge for those who are different than others. It could be the girl who is too much of a tomboy or the boy who is too gentle and timid. Rather than receiving people for who they are (artistic, athletic, creative, intellectual) we demand that they meet our expectations of what a person should be like. We classify people by the way they look or the clothes they wear.
Do any of us miss those awkward years of adolescence? It is hard enough trying to find your way growing up. The messages that people hear as children can stay with them their entire lives. Everyone is looking for people who will welcome them. Rejection can leave a sense of hopelessness. In despair, many turn to drugs, alcohol, bad relationships, and sexual sin. I know this is not the only way someone arrives at identifying themselves as a homosexual. However, I know that pain and hurt can greatly shape our feelings and choices. That is why so much human behavior follows a pattern.
The gospel offers a different perspective all together. We are no longer to be defined by our abilities, our looks, our place of birth. God has given us a place to belong as we find our identity in following Christ. In the face of Jesus we see the reflection of who God has called us to be. There is nothing more beautiful or fulfilling than knowing this truth. Trust in His love. Obey His Word. Open your eyes! There is room at the cross.