Will there be LGBT people in heaven? Absolutely!

One day while I was wandering through a ward a man stopped me and asked if he could talk to me. I pulled up a chair and he told me he was an alcoholic. He said he wanted to stop drinking and needed some support. I listened as his story unfolded.

I have lots of experience with alcoholics as my dad and sister both died from alcohol related diseases. It is fairly unusual for an alcoholic to ask for help. This man seemed genuine in his desire to seek help. He told me he had been to AA but not found it helpful. When I pushed him as to why not he finally told me he was gay and felt he wasn’t properly understood. I said that I would find him some local organisations that he could go to and come back with the info.

I was able to find a local gay and lesbian group that ran various support groups as well as a generic counselling service. I rang them to check that this man would be able to use their groups. The man I spoke to was very surprised that a “vicar” was aware of their group and willing to make a referral. When I checked why he was surprised, he told me the only thing they ever got from religious people was hate mail. I explained to him that I thought that sort of behaviour was unacceptable and based on dodgy theology and not all Christians are bigoted. He said he was pleased to talk to someone who was so ordinary.

I think the Church and Christian’s should be ashamed of themselves for giving such a negative view. Jesus only every preached love. Where’s the love in bigotry? Those of you reading this that are not Christian, please don't judge God based on the behaviour of Christians who say you're on the outside only people like me are allowed in. What I have to say to those Christians who preach hatred and bigotry is if you don't like the company you are in here on earth you are not going to like heaven either. Hadn't you noticed the crowd that Jesus knocked about with? Any way enough of my rant...

When I went back to the patient, he was overwhelmed that I had found a support group for him and that it was for gay men. He started to cry. When he had composed himself I told him he had to do all the hard work, all I had done was provide the information. He was being discharged that day, so I wished him well and reminded him that today was the first day of his recovery. He promised me he was going to do it and get the help he needed. I said he needed to make that promise to himself. I gave him a hug and said he had all the answers inside of him and not to be afraid to listen to that still small voice.

I wonder what happened to him?I can only hope that he found the love, support and acceptence that he so badly needed.