Peace Be With You
Written by Simone - Louisiana, USA
When I dream of heaven, the person I love is there. When I pray to God, I pray that my girlfriend feels loved by me and everyone around her. I have been called to love just as everyone else has. I have a God that is love, completely unconditional. When I see hate on the street, I feel saddened that they do not know that Jesus died for me too. I shut my eyes, I start to cry, I kick and I scream. “Peace be with you.” I remind myself of what Jesus has taught me, and pray for the peace of those who hate me. There is no greater comfort than knowing that even the most hateful people are going to be shown mercy by their creator. There is no sin greater than another. But my love is pure, not sinful. I am able to show my friends and the people around me a fraction of what God’s love feels like. This is what gives me joy. I am not able to show the true light of Christ without embracing how he made me. When I preach, I preach with all of my soul on my chest. God made me gay for a reason and if that reason is to teach others that God accepts me for who I am and them how they are, so be it.
“The peace of the Lord be with you always.” Jesus’ crucifixion was shining above me. “Let us offer one another a sign of reconciliation and peace”. I make eye contact with all of the people around me, my hand shakes a stranger’s hand, and I feel at home. “Peace be with you.” No one knows who I am. The only thing this stranger knows about me, is that I am there serving my God, just like everyone else in that stained glass building. I find comfort in knowing that no matter who I encounter in church, no matter who I see on the street, they have a heart that is built on loving thy neighbor, even if they do not know it yet. The connection I make for less than a second with a handful of the people surrounding me, shows me that love in multiple forms exists. This is where I belong. My passion for human connection was growing before my eyes, and God is the driving force of my passion.
What brings me peace is the people around me that imitate Christ and make me a better person. They are the ones that give me an eternal sense of peace. With God’s influence, I am encouraged to go up and talk to unknown people about how their love for religion differs from mine. I am thankful to have a God that understands and accepts all people. My purpose is to help other people belong.
I belong when I worship, I belong when I thank God Almighty that I am God’s child. No matter who I love, God loves me. No matter how much I sin, God loves me.
