the love family

Oncle and Auntie and Silas

God loves everyone and when people hate Him, He loves them still. He sings the love song to us and we love him always.  Jesus is powerful. 

By Silas Brandle,

May 31, 2014

the true story of the prodigal son

There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

I am the son who went and asked his father for his share of the estate.

He gave it to me without hesitation, which surprised me.

It surprised me because I had never heard of a son ask for his share of the estate. Even more, when I asked some of my peers in the neighbourhood what would happen if a son asked for his share, they were horrified at the idea. They couldn't imagine a son ever asking his father for his share.

“That would be like wishing him to be dead,” they said. “No one would do that, and even if someone did, his father would beat him for it.”

So I was surprised when he gave me my share.

But I was also not surprised.

eleven

Trigger warning: topic of suicide

[lgbt rights around the world]

The Guardian has just posted a survey of lgbt rights around the world, focusing on five areas:

1. Is sex between consenting lgbt adults legal?
2. Are lgbt people protected against discrimination in the workplace?
3. Do lgbt people have the right to marry?
4. Are same-sex couples eligible to apply for adoption?
5. Does the country’s legal system consider hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity to be an aggravating circumstance?

These are rights which those of us who are straight never have to think about. But for many lgbt people around the world, these rights are often limited or non-existent. (I'm pleased that Canada, the country I live in, allows for all five of these).

Take a global tour yourself, using the interactive charts to see the current state of lgbt rights, at the Guardian's website.

[the hug poem, by bradley hathaway]

Thanks to Wes for pointing this video out to me.