On the recommendation of a trusted friend, I recently picked up a copy of Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christians Faithfulness and Homosexuality. My interest in the book stems from the many meetings I have in my office with men and women who struggle with gender-related issues, along with the fact that gender brokenness is a bigger issue in the Church than many would suspect. Because I believe that the Gospel of Christ offers the greatest hope and the keenest interpretation of all life’s struggles, I’m always on the lookout for resources that further the conversation of a life well lived while living in fallen world. I believe I may have found such a resource in Wesley Hill’s book. (You can find a copy of the book here.) John 1:17 says, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” The grace/truth paradox is what the Church must strive to help people work out: that on the one hand, a holy God is right to require moral perfection from His creation; that on the other hand, God graciously works with His fallen creatures to restore them to a place of wholeness. Since none of us can claim moral perfection, that mitigates self-righteousness and judgmentalism toward others who have different sin issues than we do; since we are all fallen, we all stand in need of God’s grace. From the little I’ve already read, I’m hopeful about what Mr. Hill has to say in his book. Here’s how the inside front cover reads,

How do the gospel, holiness, and indwelling sin play out in the life of a Christian struggling with same-sex attraction? And how do brothers and sisters in Christ show love to them? Wesley Hill offers wise counsel that is biblically faithful, theologically serious, and oriented to the life and practice of the church.As a celibate gay Christian, Hill gives us a glimpse at what it looks like to wrestle first-hand with God’s ‘No’ to same-sex relationships. What does it mean for gay Christians to be faithful to God while struggling with the challenge of their homosexuality? What is God’s will for believers who experience same-sex desires? Those who choose celibacy are often left to deal with loneliness and the hunger for relationships. How can gay Christians experience God’s favor and blessing in the midst of a struggle that for many brings a crippling sense of shame and guilt?He advocates neither unqualified ‘healing’ for those who struggle nor accommodation to temptation, but rather faithfulness in the midst of brokenness. 

So this book is autobiographical, but it is also theological. Both parts need to be heard. Mr. Hill has chosen to divide the book into 6 parts: 3 parts are “mini-biographies or character sketches of homosexual Christians” that let readers see, hear, and feel the humanness and reality of the struggle, with each of these stories followed by a chapter on how the Gospel connects to these challenges.

The table of contents looks like this:

Introduction

Prelude: Washed and Waiting
1. A Story-Shaped LifeInterlude: The Beautiful Incision
2. The End of LonelinessPostlude: “Thou Art Lightning and Love”
3. The Divine Accolade
Afterword

My plan is to read through the book while sharing each chapter’s highlights as I work my way through. Stay tuned for the next part, the Introduction.