Who am I, that you would call me friend?” I heard that question in the middle of a song (Jesus What A Friend, by Tasha Cobbs Leonard) while I was making my morning smoothie and it immediately brought me to a pause. As the song continued to wash over me, I began to think about the magnitude of that question.

As a kid, I was a big fan of the Power Rangers, as all children should be. I couldn't possibly calculate the hours of my childhood I spent watching this show - I mean, it had everything.

When the trail levels, my uphill panting calms

so I can hear again the drips of

leftover rain on leaves, light and soft

and sweetened with sunlight,

like the language of birds.

Recently, an incident triggered some very big, hard emotions in my life. I had offered to do something kind for a friend, and I was rejected, it was hard, awkward, and uncomfortable. In theory, I could have just shrugged it off. After all, I know the truth about me, my character, and the situation. Why should it bother me any further than a simple, random misunderstanding with someone who doesn't even know me that well? But, alas, that is not how the heart works sometimes.

I’ve been a stranger in a foreign land for as long as I can remember. I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older about the experience of other “Third Culture Kids,” who grow up in a home separate from the culture they live in.

This myth of love that romantic or erotic love is somehow better than Friendship is just that– a myth. They are different, and one is not inherently better than the other. Romantic love isn't a "level up" from Friendship. Contrary to what When Harry Met Sally taught a generation, people can be "just" friends, even if romantic or sexual attraction might be present.

Though all Christians need the grace and strength of Jesus to live faithfully, there are some unique tensions faced by sexual minorities that we want to establish a foundation for. In particular, we’ll be talking about sexual integrity, hopeful longing, and living lives of dignity and service.

If you’ve found that the cultural concepts of family around you have failed you, I want to invite you to sit with our great Father and dream.