So... I've entered this video into Donald Miller's, "A Million Miles In A Thousand Years" film contest. It's my story in 90 seconds. In April you'll have the chance to vote for my story. I wanted to share it with you now though. :)
If you have a story you'd like to share on video and can do it in 90 seconds, I encourage you to enter the contest as well! When we tell our stories, it helps us to heal (if needed) and understand ourselves better.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Exciting News! Tour Announcement!!!
It's official!
This Summer Ray Boltz and I will be teaming up together for a tour around America.
Ray is releasing a new album titled "True" which will be available for you to purchase online shortly. I'm very excited about this tour and the message we will bring to people where we go.
I will be posting more info about the tour on this here blog thingy in the weeks to come!
Stay tuned!
Much love,
Azariah Southworth
This Summer Ray Boltz and I will be teaming up together for a tour around America.
Ray is releasing a new album titled "True" which will be available for you to purchase online shortly. I'm very excited about this tour and the message we will bring to people where we go.
I will be posting more info about the tour on this here blog thingy in the weeks to come!
Stay tuned!
Much love,
Azariah Southworth
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Christian Values: Preach it when you can practice it
“They’re anti-Christian values and anti-family.” These are merely two accusations made about me and millions of other LGBT people by organizations such as the American Family Association (AFA), Liberty Counsel, Family Research Council (FRC), and Concerned Women for America (CWA). Those are just a few organizations which proselytize this message, unfortunately, there are many more.
When I was a kid, after I would be disciplined, my Dad would sit me on his lap and say, “Now, who loves you?” I would respond with, “Jesus.” That was his cue to say, “Yes, and who also loves you?” Which I responded to by saying, “You and Mom.” My Dad would then have me quote the fruits of the Spirit. “Azariah, what are the fruits of the Spirit?” “Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faithfulness and temperance. Against such things there is no law.” We would then discuss why I was just disciplined and how I needed to go and apologize to everyone I wronged.
Galatians 5:22 says, “Love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, meekness (humility), faithfulness and temperance” are the fruits of the Spirit. Correct me if I’m wrong, but all of these, I believe, are the foundational values of Christianity. When you allow yourself to be transformed by the love of Christ, your words and actions will begin to produce these Christian values.
The mission of the Family Research Council is to “Defend Faith, Family and Freedom.” Everything they do, they do it in the name of Christ. They do it to bring back biblical principles into America’s society. So when people like Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council says, and I quote, “I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States, than to import them into the United States.” How does this message of fear, hate and exclusion produce the fruits of the Spirit my Dad taught me about? Or should I say, how are Mr. Sprigg’s words and actions not anti-Christian values?
Another example would be the AFA. If motivating people with fear is a Christian value than the AFA should win the lifetime achievement award. Currently on their website, there is an article titled, “Obama’s new military: Gays showering with straights.” If this title wasn’t crafted to create fear, than I don’t know what was. Fear is all these organizations have to work with.
They claim to be about preserving Christian values in America and defending the family institution. However, they weren’t too worried about the fear and lies they planted within my own family’s heart about who I am, a gay man. How is planting the seeds of dissension in countless families preserving the family institution? How is instilling fear in countless people practicing Christian values?
If the AFA, CWA, FRC, etc. are concerned with saving the institution of families and promoting Christian values. If this was truly their hearts than they would be in the gay bars listening to the stories of people like my friend Jason whose family completely disowned him after he came out. They would be comforting Michael’s broken heart because his mother said she would never accept him. They would be visiting the 83-year-old lesbian woman who is living her last years alone because her partner passed away. They would be with “the least of these.” Meanwhile, they’re too busy raising millions, lobbying politicians and getting their face and messages on CNN.
I’m not writing this from a place of anger, rather, I’m writing in a place of frustration from what I see being pranced around as “Christianity.” If these multi-million dollar making non-profits truly reflected Christian values, there would be a much different perception of Christians today.
You don’t have to affirm LGBT people to be able to agree that the tactics these organizations and others like them use are indeed anti-Christian and anti-family. Lastly, if you want to get rid of gays and fight to deny us rights, go right ahead, but don’t do it in the name of Christ. Don’t preach about saving Christian values when you’re unable to practice them.
When I was a kid, after I would be disciplined, my Dad would sit me on his lap and say, “Now, who loves you?” I would respond with, “Jesus.” That was his cue to say, “Yes, and who also loves you?” Which I responded to by saying, “You and Mom.” My Dad would then have me quote the fruits of the Spirit. “Azariah, what are the fruits of the Spirit?” “Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faithfulness and temperance. Against such things there is no law.” We would then discuss why I was just disciplined and how I needed to go and apologize to everyone I wronged.
Galatians 5:22 says, “Love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, meekness (humility), faithfulness and temperance” are the fruits of the Spirit. Correct me if I’m wrong, but all of these, I believe, are the foundational values of Christianity. When you allow yourself to be transformed by the love of Christ, your words and actions will begin to produce these Christian values.
The mission of the Family Research Council is to “Defend Faith, Family and Freedom.” Everything they do, they do it in the name of Christ. They do it to bring back biblical principles into America’s society. So when people like Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council says, and I quote, “I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States, than to import them into the United States.” How does this message of fear, hate and exclusion produce the fruits of the Spirit my Dad taught me about? Or should I say, how are Mr. Sprigg’s words and actions not anti-Christian values?
Another example would be the AFA. If motivating people with fear is a Christian value than the AFA should win the lifetime achievement award. Currently on their website, there is an article titled, “Obama’s new military: Gays showering with straights.” If this title wasn’t crafted to create fear, than I don’t know what was. Fear is all these organizations have to work with.
They claim to be about preserving Christian values in America and defending the family institution. However, they weren’t too worried about the fear and lies they planted within my own family’s heart about who I am, a gay man. How is planting the seeds of dissension in countless families preserving the family institution? How is instilling fear in countless people practicing Christian values?
If the AFA, CWA, FRC, etc. are concerned with saving the institution of families and promoting Christian values. If this was truly their hearts than they would be in the gay bars listening to the stories of people like my friend Jason whose family completely disowned him after he came out. They would be comforting Michael’s broken heart because his mother said she would never accept him. They would be visiting the 83-year-old lesbian woman who is living her last years alone because her partner passed away. They would be with “the least of these.” Meanwhile, they’re too busy raising millions, lobbying politicians and getting their face and messages on CNN.
I’m not writing this from a place of anger, rather, I’m writing in a place of frustration from what I see being pranced around as “Christianity.” If these multi-million dollar making non-profits truly reflected Christian values, there would be a much different perception of Christians today.
You don’t have to affirm LGBT people to be able to agree that the tactics these organizations and others like them use are indeed anti-Christian and anti-family. Lastly, if you want to get rid of gays and fight to deny us rights, go right ahead, but don’t do it in the name of Christ. Don’t preach about saving Christian values when you’re unable to practice them.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Letting Go
I want to apologize for an earlier post titled, "Dear Fundamental Christians."
I'm not apologizing for writing it, because I've learned from it. I am apologizing for writing it in anger.
After coming out and interacting with the same people I once called my friends, I experienced a much different "Christian love." It was sometimes passive aggressive, other times elitist, however, it always proved to be conditional. After coming out, I was on the outside and able to observe how I, and others like me, were being treated by these very fundamental, Jerry Falwellesque (if you will) Christians. I not only experienced this from the closest people to me but from complete strangers as well.
Experiencing this from self-proclaimed Christians gave me such a tainted view of all Christians. It has put an extremely negative, almost hateful, feeling towards them within me. I've laid in my bed for hours, in the middle of the night, having to convince myself that Jesus is nothing like them. Thankfully, he is also nothing like me and I am making it through the other side.
I apologize for allowing this extreme hurt and anger to build up within me and leashing it out in post like "Dear Fundamental Christians." I am learning how to let go of my own bitterness, resentment, and anger which has built up from past experiences with fundamental Christians.
My life, to me, is a journey of learning how to undo all that is selfish, over-indulgent, lazy, angry, and unloving within me. I choose to walk this journey with Christ and right now he is asking me to lay this anger down.
To those who that blog was directed at... I am sorry. Though there may be truth found in it, there was not love, and without love... truth is void.
I'm not apologizing for writing it, because I've learned from it. I am apologizing for writing it in anger.
After coming out and interacting with the same people I once called my friends, I experienced a much different "Christian love." It was sometimes passive aggressive, other times elitist, however, it always proved to be conditional. After coming out, I was on the outside and able to observe how I, and others like me, were being treated by these very fundamental, Jerry Falwellesque (if you will) Christians. I not only experienced this from the closest people to me but from complete strangers as well.
Experiencing this from self-proclaimed Christians gave me such a tainted view of all Christians. It has put an extremely negative, almost hateful, feeling towards them within me. I've laid in my bed for hours, in the middle of the night, having to convince myself that Jesus is nothing like them. Thankfully, he is also nothing like me and I am making it through the other side.
I apologize for allowing this extreme hurt and anger to build up within me and leashing it out in post like "Dear Fundamental Christians." I am learning how to let go of my own bitterness, resentment, and anger which has built up from past experiences with fundamental Christians.
My life, to me, is a journey of learning how to undo all that is selfish, over-indulgent, lazy, angry, and unloving within me. I choose to walk this journey with Christ and right now he is asking me to lay this anger down.
To those who that blog was directed at... I am sorry. Though there may be truth found in it, there was not love, and without love... truth is void.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Interview for WithJosh.com
I don't think I ever posted this interview I did with my friend Josh Skinner. Josh is a wonderful person. I hope you enjoy this interview and subscribe to his website at www.withjosh.com!!
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