Years spent in gay community equips author

By Wendy Gritter and ChristianWeek | June 16, 2009

In his first book, Love is an Orientation, Andrew Marin seeks to deconstruct many of the typical mindsets with which evangelical Christians have viewed gay and lesbian people and to then reconstruct a new framework for conversations on faith with the gay community. This is a long-awaited book for those who seek to build bridges within our culture and have a passion to engage gay and lesbian neighbours.

Given the controversial nature of the topic of homosexuality and the plethora of landmines that Marin needs to anticipate, it is invaluable that the author comes to the subject after immersing himself and being incarnationally present for nearly a decade in Boystown, a well-known part of the gay community in Chicago.

Marin speaks with the credibility of one who has invested significantly in relationship, listened carefully and demonstrated a willingness to learn from missteps along the way. The insights he has gleaned from hours in the coffee shops of Boystown, seminars on religion in the heart of the gay community, and from speaking in both conservative and gay-affirming churches are practical and offered with refreshing candor.

He has faced the hard questions and has learned through prayerful reflection, commitment to study, wise mentors and opportunities to pick himself up and dust himself off.

Marin's commitments, values and principles for engagement will challenge simplistic thinking and pat answers. Throughout, his deep commitment to a laser focus on the person and ministry of Jesus Christ provides the essential foundation for all attempts at building a bridge.

"Bridge building is not evangelism," says Marin. Rather, it focuses on long-term, sustainable relationships marked by authenticity. It is this kind of authenticity that Marin suggests will bear fruit for the Kingdom in the midst of the skepticism, polarization and fear that often divides the gay and Christian communities.

Love is an Orientation doesn't answer every question on the topic of homosexuality. It remains committed to the goal of helping the Christian community in fostering a safe place for gay people to explore faith through the context of relationship.

The book is a courageous step forward in elevating the conversation on gay issues. It sings with a deep love for Christ, for gay people and for the Church. It is not a book that can be read with passive indifference. It offers tangible hope and practical steps forward for those who hear Christ's call to build a bridge toward their gay neighbours.