The Gong Show

Im trying something new tonight, folks, so get ready!!! A MOVIE REVIEW!! Wootyhoooooo!

If you're anything like me (35 year old mom who still likes a Disney movie, and considers those that came out in the 90s pure classics), you were anxiously awaiting the live action beauty and the beast. I could not wait! I love Emma Watson. Even though I'm still mad at Dan Stevens because of his departure from Downton Abbey, he made a great Beast. I had my reservations about ol dude playing Gaston (he simply wasn't BIG enough), but gosh darn it he owned it. Then comes my beloved Josh Gad playing LeFou. He was the best cast character, to me, prior to seeing the film.

Then, however long before the premier of the movie, comes the uproar. "LeFou has a gay storyline!" Egad! And then boycotts and blog posts and lamenting over explaining something to their children. I've got three words for this: ay yi yi.

Y'all. Cmon. This is a FAIRY TALE. The characters are not real. I'm not going down the path of a story about "beastiality" either because that's just as dumb. It's made up....and besides, he was a human, just turned into a beast because of MAGIC. So, can't really be beastiality. Duh. And they didn't smooch til he was turned back to his human form. On and on....HOWEVER, this whole storyline with LeFou was blown WAY (and I mean it, people. WAY!!!) out of proportion. Had no one said anything, anyone seeing it (Christian, Jew, liberal, conservative, peacock) would have chuckled and gone on their merry way. But because a big deal was made over a 2 second shot on the screen....Lord, help us.

So many people are offended by SO many things anymore. Prayer is offensive. Liberals are offensive. Women are offensive. Men are offensive. Conservatives are offensive. Religions are offensive. Companies are offensive. Disney making reference to homosexuality ever so slightly is offensive and results in a boycot. I'm ALL ABOUT people staying true to their convictions and their conscience. I'm not here to spout off at the mouth about anyone being wrong in what they feel is right. I AM here to say that there are gays in this world. There are gays in your communities and neighborhoods and, please Jesus, in our churches. And a mass boycot over something so truly non-life shattering as LeFou.....what does that show?

I'm well aware of what the Bible says about homosexuality. I'm well aware that conservative christians see it as the sin that is celebrated in ways that other sins are not. I get it. I hear you. I see you. However, in my life, I have been BLESSED by members of the gay community. I am fortunate enough to have met and become friends with and love and BE loved by some of the most amazing people who are gay. I struggle with it from the stand point of Christianity.....and what makes them happy, and consequently me happy for them, may not be what makes them holy. And yet that is not for me to DECIDE. I am called to love and have relationship with people. I thank God above I have the good knowledge of those in my life, both past and present, who are gay. What makes me grateful for them has nothing to do with their gayness, but everything to do with their hearts, their compassion, their humor, their talent, their honesty, and their love. Anyone who may be reading this who didn't go see Beauty and the Beast bc of the LeFou/Gaston stuff, know I'm not judging or condemning or any of that. It is just so heavy on my heart to say something....and this is how I handle the heavyonmyheart stuff. I've gotten up from my chair 3 times while writing this to eat spoonfuls of shells and cheese, cold from the pot on my stove. Who of you will boycot my blog for gluttony? Who of you will refuse friendship with me bc I chose to eat 3 (yes 3) cheeseburgers in one day this week? Who of you will be concerned for my soul bc I made light of it and joked on myself for eating all the things and pretty much celebrated it by tossing back 2 glasses of wine? You're not going to boycot me. If you did ANYthing at all it would be to come to me in love and ask me what's up. Because what came first with Jesus and the woman at the well? Telling her to go and sin no more? Or a conversation?

Relationships. Love. Those are the things. I'm not saying you're a bad Christian or person for not seeing Beauty and the Beast. Lord knows. (But you ARE missing Audra McDonald and that is a true travesty. She is amazing and I want to be her when I grow up.) I just feel so much for people, and I hurt when they hurt, and I become sad and frustrated when I see fellow Christians thinking they are following the Word of God by not engaging at all(!) with gay people. This world, overall, has become a world where it is more important to be right than to show love.

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.