My letter to the Picketers

Hello WBC,

My husband and I have grown up in the church and we are now Christian missionaries working with Mercy Ships (NGO hospital ships operating mostly in West Africa).

Throughout the last 10 years, I have been learning more and more about what it means to love people and empower people to live life abundantly in the Lord Jesus Christ. A HUGE part of this process is discipling people. God asks us to disciple the nations and teach them his word and commands.

Teaching and discipling takes TIME and RELATIONSHIP with people, with sinners. God hates the sin, not the sinner.

When I think of abortion, for example, I now think of ways to help the broken girl who doesn't know what to do and probably doesn't know God. I must ask God how I can help her and her unborn child. I have to ask, how can I promote life? Should I take her in? Buy her a meal? Should I be willing to adopt her unborn child??

Telling her, or homosexuals, or any sinner, that God hates them is most likely going to make them feel more hopeless, more angry, and more lonely. This is not what Christ asked us to do for the lost and broken of the world.

God also asks us to pray. When we don't know what else to do, go into the prayer closet and pray for them...

Matthew 6:2- "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them.

Matthew 6:5- "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men."

What you are doing is too easy... holding up your signs and shouting what you think. It doesn't take much effort or selflessness to be so distant and untouchable. Your ministry is made of cardboard, not of love.

The sacrifice God asks of you, is to disciple people, disciple the lost. Again, this takes time and relationship with people, showing them how to live by your life as an example. Loving them into the Kingdom like Jesus Christ did as he spent time with sinners.

Your church embarrasses me and most Christians I know. I will not hate you, I will try to love you and pray for you, but I hate what you are doing. I also think that God loves you, but he hates what you are doing. I think He is so broken hearted about the false things your are proclaiming about Him.

Lorah Ray