Reviews

BOOKS

Challenging story

No Ordinary Child – A Christian Mother’s Acceptance of her Gay Son, by Jacqueline Ley. Wild Goose Publications. £7.99

Imagine how an evangelical Christian family react to the news that one of their beloved boys is gay.

It is hard enough to imagine how the boy, himself a committed Christian, comes to terms with the realisation that he is a homosexual and then has the honesty to tell his mother, knowing the hurt and bewilderment that this will bring.

The book opens with a testimony from James himself. Jacqueline Ley has written a series of meditations on how she has coped with this devastating news. She went through much turmoil sobbing out her hurts and fears and even resentment of God but, step by step, she came to understand that some of the ways of our Creator God are past finding out.

The scriptures God highlighted to her helped her realise God had created her son just as much as her other children and that they were equally loved by him. Her natural inclination to judge him was gradually dissipated by her experience of the Lord’s unconditional love for all his creation.

She points to Philippians and the promise: "He that hath begun a good work in you (him) shall complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

In fact, the book is peppered with Scripture and the promises she felt given to her as she sought to understand and accept her middle son and the faithful gay Christians she has come to know. She was able to be honest with God about all the questions she had and found that Psalm 34:18 (NRSV) ministered to her broken heart.

So much of this book is helpful and open. My only reservation is that she did not share with us how she dealt with the difficult area of sexual practice that seems to draw the line between orientation and the sexual acts that are forbidden in Scripture, much as extra-marital relationships are for straight couples.

Nevertheless this short, easy-to-read book should be a challenge for all of us as we seek to face an increasing problem in today’s society.

June Jolly is a qualified social worker and has a diploma in Christian Counselling from CWR

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		BOOKS Challenging story No Ordinary Child – A Christian Mother’s Acceptance of her Gay Son, by Jacqueline Ley. Wild Goose Publications. £7.99 Imagine how an evangelical Christian family react to the news that one of their beloved boys is gay. It is hard enough to imagine how the boy, himself a committed Christian, comes to terms with the realisation that he is a homosexual and then has the honesty to tell his mother, knowing the hurt and bewilderment that this will bring. The book opens with a testimony from James himself. Jacqueline Ley has written a series of meditations on how she has coped with this devastating news. She went through much turmoil sobbing out her hurts and fears and even resentment of God but, step by step, she came to understand that some of the ways of our Creator God are past finding out. The scriptures God highlighted to her helped her realise God had created her son just as much as her other children and that they were equally loved by him. Her natural inclination to judge him was gradually dissipated by her experience of the Lord’s unconditional love for all his creation. She points to Philippians and the promise: "He that hath begun a good work in you (him) shall complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." In fact, the book is peppered with Scripture and the promises she felt given to her as she sought to understand and accept her middle son and the faithful gay Christians she has come to know. She was able to be honest with God about all the questions she had and found that Psalm 34:18 (NRSV) ministered to her broken heart. So much of this book is helpful and open. My only reservation is that she did not share with us how she dealt with the difficult area of sexual practice that seems to draw the line between orientation and the sexual acts that are forbidden in Scripture, much as extra-marital relationships are for straight couples. Nevertheless this short, easy-to-read book should be a challenge for all of us as we seek to face an increasing problem in today’s society. June Jolly is a qualified social worker and has a diploma in Christian Counselling from CWR © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.