Today, I want to introduce you to my Brave Author of the Month, D.T. Powell. In June, D.T. released her Contemporary Christian novel, With Mercy’s Eyes. The story resonated with me because a few years earlier, I myself had taken on the challenge of writing about someone who was same sex attracted. (You can read about Christian here!)
For those who read or write General Market fiction, this might seem like no big deal, but at the time, I was writing Christian Fiction, and that is also the market for which With Mercy’s Eyes was written. It is not an easy thing for a Christian author to do, so when I heard that D.T. was working on this project, I immediately signed up to beta read the book, and I am so glad I did. I don’t know what changes D.T. made to With Mercy’s Eyes since I read it, but I happily gave my endorsement to the story:
In With Mercy’s Eyes, D.T. Powell addresses a number of challenging subjects, and she treats each one with grace, love, and honesty. There are a number of things in these pages that we wish we could say, if only we could find the right words. D.T. Powell found them, and she shared them with us. Moreover, she shares God’s heart. It behooves every Christian to read this book.
Today, I am sharing a post from a series D.T. did on the Brave Authors Blog. If you’d like to check out her full series, I will place a link to the Brave Authors website below. Now, without further ado, I’m going to turn it over to D.T.!
Fellow Christian, when you encounter someone who identifies as gay/lesbian/bi, etc. how do you treat them? Are you prepared to interact with that person in a loving, godly way? Do you even want to?
Maybe responding biblically is your heart motive, but you don’t know how to do it.
Here are three practical tips to help you navigate interactions with someone who identifies as same sex attracted:
1. View others as valuable.
People who haven’t experienced same-sex attraction aren’t somehow better than those who have. We aren’t more or less valuable to God because of the types of sins we’ve committed. Every soul is unfathomably valuable to Him. Every single one. Regardless of whether they’re in a heterosexual or homosexual relationship or if they’re single. Christ’s blood covers every sin imaginable, and every human to ever live shares the same status of “sinner.” The only eternally important difference is whether we’ve accepted Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.
Treat every person you encounter with respect and consideration.
2. Exercise God’s love and compassion.
Many people living unbiblical sexual lifestyles don’t have a good history with Christians and Christianity. And it’s entirely possible that person’s bad experiences will affect how they interact with you, a Christian. No matter how they respond to you, choose to respond to them with love.
If your response is fueled by anger, ego, or hurt feelings, it isn’t going to be helpful.
3. Speak timely truth.
There is a time to state the facts, to declare truth. Homosexual relationships are unbiblical, and homosexual intimacy is sin. But screaming those facts in someone’s face only makes both the screamer and the one being screamed at angry. Passive aggressive mentions of sin peppered throughout conversation is no better.
It’s good and right to say what we believe and why, but those statements need to come from a heart of love—a heart that has the desire to see others come to Christ. If we can’t speak truth with the right heart attitude, we might as well remain silent.
Speaking timely truth means listening to God’s prompting. Learning to listen to God’s prompting requires spending time with Him. And when we spend time with God, all three of these things will become easier to do—not just with people who identify as LGBTQ, but with everyone.
My recently-released novel, With Mercy’s Eyes, is a Contemporary Christian fiction book for adults. It deals with homosexuality and same-sex attraction from a Biblical perspective. This book calls sin what it is, but it also refuses to lose compassion for same sex attracted people.
I wrote this book from a mix of experiences, some personal, some involving a close relative, and even one interaction with a total stranger. And it’s God’s Word shedding light on those experiences, that has helped me far better understand how to interact with others who also experience same sex attraction.
He turned his back on God a long time ago. But God never forgot him.
Six months after struggling actor Lane Harris lost his husband in a tragic accident, he lands a movie role guaranteed to put him on the Hollywood map. But one producer holds the power to shut down his shot at stardom—and she’s a Christian. If she finds out he’s gay, it’s over. Lane is careful not to say too much around her.
When an alcohol-fueled tryst with his co-star ends in humiliation, and his landlord hands him an eviction notice, Lane looks for someone to talk to. He finds a confidant in the Christian producer. After a night of too little sleep and not enough coffee, he lets slip his sexual orientation. Instead of a verbal flogging, the woman recounts recently losing her own husband.
The only Christians Lane knows condemn him upon learning he’s gay. But this one is different. She doesn’t embrace his sexuality, but instead of treating him with disdain, she offers compassion. Christians are supposed to hate people like him. So, why doesn’t she?
– – – – – – –
With Mercy’s Eyes is an issue-facing Contemporary novel for adult churched Christians. It addresses homosexuality and same-sex attraction from a Biblical perspective without falling into the trap of the extreme responses we too often see from modern churches. It holds similar views to Jackie Hill Perry, Becket Cook, Rosaria Butterfield, and Christopher Yuan.
With Mercy’s Eyes has already won a Christlit Award and a GOLD Literary Titan Award. Congratulations, D.T.!
Here’s a little sneak peek at D.T.’s next project, from her interview on the Brave Authors Blog:
Sarah: What are you working on now?
D.T.: I am almost finished with a Contemporary Christian fiction novella about church hurt. It centers around a woman who’s just left her long-time church because the pastor and her fellow members spread lies about her. During this woman’s search for another congregation, she encounters a pastor who’s just accepted a new church. But not everyone is happy about him being there. This novella explores the sovereignty of God, individual responsibility, and the complexities of being part of the Body of Christ.
This story is part of the novella collection Every Voice Heard, coming in December from Brave Authors!
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