Giglio respectfully withdrawing Obama's invitation.

What I am about to write and what lays heavy on me is a very controversal subject.  Therefore, this will be a controversal blog.  But let me go ahead and clarify, I love everybody.  I am a little hesitant on writing and posting on this subject but I feel very passionate about this and pray that those will not take offense but rather understand where I am coming from.

Over the past several days, I have been following Louie Giglio and his invite by President Obama to do the benediction at his second term ignargaration.  Of course, Giglio felt honored and happily accepted his invitation.  President Obama has partnered and praised Giglio's passion for ending slavery that still exsist today.  Giglio is a pastor in Atlanta, Georgia where he started Passion City Church.  Atlanta is the number one human trafficking hub in the US.  To me, it is clear that God has purposfully placed Giglio in Atlanta to help bring awareness to the issue.  Recently, he has started an "End It" movement to put a stop to modern day slavery.  At Passion 2013, (Passion is put on every year which was started by Giglio for young people to come together to learn, praise, and give to our awesome God)  Giglio, inspired over 60,000 young people to give 3.5 million to end slavery.  

Shortly after Giglio accepted the Presidents invitation to give the benediction, a sermon that he did 20 years ago surfaced all over the internet.  The sermon spoke on homosexuality.  Because of this sermon and the topic, it was labled as a hate speach.  Anyone who has listened to Giglio's sermons knows that nothing but God inspired words and love comes from his mouth.  Why is it a shock that a christian believes that homosexuality is a sin?  Giglio is a well-known Christ follower who's allegiance is to Christ and uses the bible as his intruction book to life.  His allegiance is not to this world or culture.  He speacks and preaches Truth.  I have not heard the sermon but I have read many quotes from it.  Giglio spoke of sexual sin.  Not just homesexuality.  Sexual sin can be between a man and women just as much as it can be between a woman and woman or man and man.  Just because our culture is becoming accepting of this sexual sin does not mean that we as christians should bow down to the cultural belief.  Once again, as christians, our allegiance is to God, not to culture.  Giglio never said homosexuals were not welcomed in his church.  In fact, he welcomes them.  He wants to share God's truth and mercey with them.  Just like he would welcome a fornicater, a liar and a cheater.  His goal is to bring people to Christ and share with them His love.  After the scandal of this particular sermon surfacing, Giglio respectfully withdrew his invitation.  

What has really upset me about this whole situation, people have turned Giglio into this gay-hating man.  Instead of praising him for his amazing efforts to end slavery, some people only know him as the preacher who gave a gay hate sermon.  I believe that it is extremly selfish to bring the attention off of mondern-day slavery to a gay-rights issue. To me, slavery is way more important.  There are people in the world who have no rights and no control over their lives.  They live to please someone else. They are used as manual labor slaves as well have sex-slaves.  They live day to day in fear.  And most of these victims in slavery are children.  So to the people who have turned what Giglio truly stands for and is trying to do to put an end to slavery to a gay-hating individual...shame on you.  Because of your pride, you have taken away from what Giglio is trying to do to end slavery.  To me, making this into a gay-rights issue was something not worth fighting for.  Brining people and children out of slavery IS something worth fighting for.  Shame on those who have turned the focus onto their selfish pride.

It is so comforting to have men in this world like Louie Giglio who stands for what we as christians believe.  Who are courageous enough to say, I will not be a slave to this culture.  Who looks to God as his inspriation and leader.  Who is willing to endure these hate comments so that he can take a stand for The Lord.  Thank you, Louie Giglio, for sharing the love of Christ to ALL people so they have a chance to live an eternal life with our amazing God.  I pray that that people see Giglio for who he truly is and will look past their misunderstanding about him and come together to support him in trying to end slaver.