Every evening during our little family prayer meeting, we pray for each other and for any friends we know who are in need. I often ask the kids to pray for gay friends I know who are having troubles with their families or churches. One evening last week it was just me with my two older children at the prayer meeting. They were asking why parents who find out their kids are gay get so upset.
"Because it makes the parents angry and afraid when they find out," I tell them.
"Why?"
"Well, especially Christian parents. Because some Christians believe their kid chooses to be gay. Other people believe that if their child turns out gay it's the parents' fault, so they get angry at the kid because they feel responsible somehow. But we don't really know why people turn out gay. It's still kind of a mystery."
My ten-year-old asks, "Mommy, what would you do if you found out one of your kids is gay?"
The seven-year-old looks at me too.
"I would love you just the same," I say. "Besides, I don't think that being gay or not gay is the most important thing. The most important thing to me is that you believe in Jesus."
The two kids jump up. Apparently, it is a fist-pumping moment for them.
"Yeah!"
"Yeah!"
They bounce around on their queen-sized futon.
"Believing in Jesus is the most important thing!"
"Jesus is more important than gay!"
"Yeah!"
After they settle down, we talk about it some more. For their age they have tremendous spiritual understanding, and they've come such a long ways. I'm very proud of them.
