this is my best friend, bill.
in the picture
above.
we met in seminary
and have basically become family.
his mother is like my mother.
his wife and children are like my own family.
bill has been a constant
throughout my adult life.
he is gentle, kind, and deeply intuitive.
i danced at his wedding.
i baptized his daughter.
and i will be there for many other life events.
four years ago
i took the picture above
while at the lake house
bill's family owns
on lake of the ozarks in
the show me state.
four years ago
it was time to tell my best friend
something i had yet to tell him...
i had told him everything else about my life.
now
it was time to speak the words -
"I
am gay."
it was time to hear his response.
i knew bill
well enough to know that i would not lose
his friendship.
and i was right.
we were floating on
styrofoam water noodles
not far from the lake
when i broke the news.
"really?"
he asked.
"really."
i replied.
i replied.
"i am gay."
"ok," bill said.
and with only a few more words
we went on with life.
unconditional grace
and love is something
we presbyterian's say we believe...
say makes us different from other christian's.
i can't say we presbyterian's have done
that good of a job living what we say we believe...
i can say my friend bill
was one of the very first to
bring alive the concept of
"unconditional".
the first thing he did was listen
as i told him things i had never
had freedom to voice.
he listened.
this is a gift
that proves friendship...
that proves love.
bill's wife worried that
my "gayness" meant that
bill might be gay too.
i suppose that is a common reaction.
but bill
is not gay...
bill simply has a gay friend.
i am gay...
and gay people
have the ability to have male friends
who are not gay.
more than most
bill knows
my life journey.
he knows what i've chosen
and not chosen.
he knows how i've struggled
but he also knows my courage.
how very
fortunate i am
to have a best friend
who knows me
and loves me.
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