Hill, Wesley. Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.
This book was recommended to me by a friend, and as I did my googling to find more information, I was shocked to discover that such a book existed. "Really?" my brain said, "somone has written about this?" In all of my reading and searching, I have never, ever found a book written by a Christian who struggles with homosexuality. Never.
This book reads a lot more like a memoir than a textbook, and I believe Hill did this on purpose. He is not writing from the perspective of having all the answers, but rather describing his journey to find those answers. I appreciated this change in perspective, and I was intrigued by the concepts he wrestled with as he struggled to discover what healing from homosexuality would look like in his life.
It seems that most people have in their heads the idea that healing from homosexuality looks like, well, heterosexuality, that a person who struggles with homosexual desires needs to actively pursue a desire for an attraction to members of the opposite sex. I know people who have struggled with homosexuality and are now "healed" according to this definition. But there are also scores of Christians who are seeking to glorify the Lord in everything, including their sexuality, yet still struggle with homosexual desires. Is it right to say that they should pursue wholeness in the form of heterosexuality?
Hill explores the concept of a "celibate gay Christian," that is, a Christian who is tempted by homosexuality but chooses not to act on those desires. Is it possible that God would choose not to heal a person of this temptation, but rather to give them the grace to live with the temptation and to glorify Him through it? Hill believes so, and 2 Corinthians 12 seems to agree with him. Just as it is possible for a person to be tempted to steal, but choose not to steal, or to be tempted to lie, but choose not to lie, it should also be possible for a person to be tempted with homosexuality, yet choose not to act on it. After all, temptation in and of itself is not wrong. Jesus Himself was tempted, yet He never sinned.
I greatly enjoyed Washed and Waiting and I'm glad you reviewed it. I think it is very much on target with the struggle that Christians who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction face. Because you mentioned you had not seen many books by Christians who struggle with homosexuality, I wanted to mention my book, "Surviving Sexual Brokenness: What Grace Can Do," which was just released by WestBow. I hope you will take a look at it. I value your reaction. I hope you will visit my blog at http://thom-signsofastruggle.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI think you'll find it encouraging.
God Bless,
Thom
It is through His grace, His calling, our living faith in Jesus Christ, our Baptism, our gift of the new heart and the new human spirit, the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Sacrament of Confession that make us righteous in the eyes of God, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that gives us the living bread as our assurance of salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies us so we may grow in the fruit of the Holy Spirit to become shining lights in the world. How abundant are the gifts of our loving Father!
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