Living In the Bonus Round--A Note From the Past

I ran across the blog "Living In the Bonus Round" earlier this week and was moved by the post "A Note From the Past." It the story of his reunion with the leader of a Christian band and the writer, a former bandmate who had come out as gay and contracted AIDS.

The writer, Steve Schalchlin, began one of the first known blogs in 1996. Titled "The Bonus Round," Schalchlin chronicled his battle with AIDS, figuring it would be a diary of his last days. Fortunately, he's still blogging ten years later.

Schalchlin and his partner Jim Brochu co-wrote the musical "The Last Session" and the musical comedy "The Big Voice: God or Merman?". They won awards from GLAAD and the LA Drama Critics for The Last Session and again from the LA Drama Critics for "The Big Voice."

Despite this success, he met judgemental rejection when he got together with his former bandmate. I post this story not because it is unique; in fact, just the opposite. I'm sure most if not all GLBT people have a similar story to tell. I felt this one, especially in the context of Christianity, was well told and would resonate with readers of this site.

As Schalcilin writes, the person he calls "T" treated him "as if I were a specimen" instead of a person. It is especially troubling seeing this told of a professing Christian, since I don't recall Jesus treating even a leper in that manner.

Fortunately, not all Christians are like that, but sadly far too many do behave that way. You know, the Golden Rule isn't just a nice saying, it's biblical:

John 13:34 (NIV) Jesus says "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Did you notice that there are NO qualifiers in that command. If we are truly seeking Christ's will for our lives, that's how we treat other people; so simple yet so difficult for many "godly" people.