By Colette Aikema

Have you ever found yourself, like me, watching the culture fly by on social media and wondering how, so quickly, we’ve become surrounded by floodwater? How did it happen so fast, I ask myself? Years ago we already knew that the Sexual Revolution had taken root, and we saw it grow into a strong tree. Now, suddenly, all its deadly fruit and flowers are blossoming and we are reaping its harvest.

What do I mean exactly? Surely ‘there is nothing new under the sun’, and our experiences today were the same as two thousand years ago? Surely ‘God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow’?

Well, yes. God has seen all of our cultural issues - and much more - many times before. But the experience of living in a sexually relativist culture is new for us. We have not done this before.

In the past when I attended an event that featured Jojo Ruba, our Chief Ambassador, I would find myself soaking up the information and training like a sponge, but I always felt like there would never be room enough in my head to make such a defense as Jojo can. The amount of news, education, books, blogs, authors and media about topics such as homosexuality, transgenderism and the Sexual Revolution are so vast that just starting can feel intimidating. But with every day that passes I’m reminded that I have no other choice. It is not enough for me, as a believer, to pay another person to share the Gospel through conversational apologetics. I have to step up and do the work myself, as well. The Great Commission was given to the whole church, not simply those who have made their careers doing so. That is why I am here now, a staff speaker for Faith Beyond Belief. It is my prayer that you will begin to climb the mountain with us, striving for that noble goal: ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them into the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.’

So where do we begin? Allow me to share a few resources that I have found to be worth their weight in heavenly gold:

Nothing has given me better insight into the inward battle that occurs during sexual temptation than the book Gay Girl Good God by Jackie Hill Perry. Having lived as a lesbian for years and sharing her journey of how God saved her, she does a tremendous job of explaining how personal and real these attractions and thoughts are for men and women like her. For those like us with gay and bisexual attractions her story is a must-read reminder of God’s grace to us.

Is God Anti-Gay by Sam Alberry is a concise, thorough yet short book that outlines exactly what Scripture says (and doesn’t say) about homosexuality. Sam Alberry was a keynote speaker at Faith Beyond Belief’s 2019 Be Ready conference. In fact, with Pride month starting soon, Sam will be joining us live on June 1st to answer any and all your questions about sexuality, same-sex attraction, and identity. I encourage all those who are reading this to pray for him to be encouraged and equipped to continue his important work - and join us on Facebook Live June 1!

Another book that has been immeasurably helpful in understanding LGBTQ topics such as transgenderism, gender fluidity and gender identity is Dr. Ann Gillies’ Closing the Floodgates: setting the Record Straight About Gender & Sexuality. She is a psychotherapist who is well-versed, well-spoken, and highly qualified. As one of the only professionals left in Canada willing to speak truth and bear the consequences, she has publicly testified to the undeniable connection between trauma and sexual identity formation, a topic that has become taboo in the queer community. She told me herself that her work can send her to jail, as activists have denounced her as pseudoscientific and transphobic. This despite the fact that other well-known, highly qualified individuals share her convictions, such as Dr. Jordan Peterson, Dr. Debra Soh, and Abigail Shrier.

Abigail Shrier bears mentioning, as she published a groundbreaking expose of the transgender phenomenon in youth. If you have the opportunity, read her Irreversable Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing our Daughters. She has managed to answer questions we did not know how to ask. Once finished, you will be glad to have read it.

Finally, but certainly not least, is the book When Gay Comes Home: Learning to Build Bridges by Wilna van Beek. Wilna was a member of the LGBTQ community until God changed her heart and taught her how to see her sexuality through the eyes of Scripture. Once she understood how Jesus loves her enough to give her a design and a purpose to use for His kingdom, she became outspoken in her love for the LGBTQ community without compromising Biblical truth. For anyone whose heart is for our queer friends, whose family members have come out, or whose neighbors have invited them to Pride parade, this book is for you.

Let me tell you something amazing. We do not have to be bystanders anymore, because God has ignited this conversation all over Canada. Instead of giving in to a spirit of fear and timidity, we can look to the resources He has given, choose to be educated, and get ready to be used by God for His purposes. He uses courses like the “Identity Project” to remind us of the goodness of the Gospel and get excited enough to spread that Good News, especially the Good News about sexuality and identity.