Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Christopher Yuan and Homosexuality

The best book I've ever read about homosexuality isn't really about homosexuality. It's about grace.

Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son's Journey to God, A Broken Mother's Search for Hope tells the the story of Christopher Yuan and Angela Yuan (his mother).

Christopher tells his story: a struggle with same sex attraction, giving himself to his desires, falling into drugs, as well, and eventually selling drugs.  Then being caught as a drug dealer, jail, finding Christ in prison (and finding out that he is HIV+), and how the Lord has changed his life now--he speaks for the Lord around the country and is now even a professor at Moody Bible Institute.

Angela tells her story of being a perfectionistic, controlling Chinese mother whose life unraveled when her son came out of the closet. Then her turn to Christ and a long journey of praying for her son. Her sections of the book are just as raw and authentic as Christopher's.

It's a great story and, while difficult at times to read because of the subject matter, brings joy to the heart.  I highly recommend it. Christopher speaks from the inside of the issue and is winsome and gracious yet firmly full of truth. He is like Christ, full of grace and truth.  For me, this was the most significant book I've read on homosexuality--and Heather and I kept saying as we read it, "This is the kind of book that the church needs now."

One of the best things Christopher says is that he has come to realize that the goal for human sexuality is not heterosexuality but holy sexuality. I think there is a lot of wisdom there.  Jesus didn't die to make us heterosexual. He died to make us holy.

Christopher's website is christopheryuan.com. He's also on Facebook and Twitter.

*****

Christopher recently spoke at the Urbana Student Missions Conference on the subject "A Christian Response to Homosexuality."  You can listen that on this page (look at the bottom for the specific seminar to play).  He and his mom talk about their stories and then he gives some wise thoughts on how to engage with homosexuals with the gospel.

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