Caitlyn Jenner, Rachel Dolezal, and stones.

These are my personal opinions.

See that?

PERSONAL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While the interwebs are all abuzzle about persons named Caitlyn, and Rachel, I had to stop and really ponder a few things.

What is the Biblical response to Bruce Jenner and his life choices?

Simple. What did Jesus do to and for the hurting?
He showed them His love.
Let's see that again.
He showed them His love.
Am I Bruce Jenner's judge and jury?
No.
Do I understand why the man did what he did, and says what he says?
Not at all.
Do I think he's mixed up?
Maybe. Sorta.
Does that story upset me?
Yes, but more for the publicity rained down on his family.
But, does Bruce Jenner care what I think?
HA! Not at all. He has no idea that I exist.
He does not and never will care what I think, what I say, how I act, or who I am.
But God loves Bruce Jenner.
If I ever meet the man who says he's a woman, I would hope I kept myself as bright a light in the man's world and treated him with kindness and respect.
There is no call from Heaven to do anything other than show love and grace.
Jenner has basically stated that what he has done has been about personal turmoil.
He who is without sin, throw the first stone.

I do have a MUCH more visceral reaction to a woman named Rachel who is causing quite a stir for her issues.
Precisely, she is a Anglo woman who for all intents and purposes, has declared herself to be African American.
She has stated herself to be, and not corrected anyone who has attributed her to being, African American.
So, what is the difference between what Bruce Jenner has publicly stated, and Rachel Dolezal's statement that she is not white, and in fact, is African American?

In my opinion, there's a man who says he's a woman. Is he taking anything from anyone? Is he lying, left right and centre, about what and who he is? About his past, about his parents, about his siblings, his children, his job, his career, his hair, his skin?
He may be misguided and I may not agree with his choices, but he hasn't committed a crime, or perpetuated fraudulent behaviour in every facet of his life, for YEARS.  

Jenner isn't taking from someone's historical struggles of slavery, whose ancestors were sold in markets and shipped across the ocean to live a life of hellish servitude, and using that to perpetuate a lie. He is a privileged Anglo who has changed himself into someone who will still live the life of the privileged. No one will kick him off a bus for simply posing on the cover of a magazine and saying what he thinks he is.
Seriously, when was the last time he rode a public bus because he was too poor to buy a car?
Honestly, Jenner's struggle is that of a tiny percentage of the population. It is a struggle, and we owe it to those who deal with those issues of who and what they are to be Christ-like.

No, I did not say we have to agree, I said we HAVE to be like Jesus.

And people, that is our duty. We who have the love of Heaven should share it, don't you think?

On the flipside, we have a woman who has embraced a culture to which she was not born.
Is that wrong?
No.
It's not wrong to want to be something we aren't..
I want to be more kind.
I want to be healthier.
I want to be a better writer.
I want to be the best wife and mother I can be.
I want to be a catalyst for change.

But with Miss Dolezal, there is a slightly more un-nerving tack in the ship's course.

She wants people to believe she was the victim of hate crimes.
She wants people to believe her ancestors were slaves.
She wants people to believe she was born in a tipi, and hunted with bows and arrows.
(Okay, so now we bring Native American cultural appropriation into the mix.
Greaaaaaaaat.)

Do you see and feel the difference here?
It's all about the level of duplicity.

Jenner, as I see it, really just wants to be a woman. Whatever. We all know he was born Bruce. He has chosen to ask those around him, and the public, to treat him as a woman. But does anyone think that if a few thugs tried to mug "Caitlyn", or any of his loved ones, especially his daughters, that they'd get a skittish nervous female? Noooo, they would get an Olympian fighting back. And that would be the last thing they remember.

Rachel Dolezal has not said, "I know I'm not African American, but I choose to present myself as a woman of that culture. I love the history, the struggle, the richness I see there. I know I'm white, but I choose to identify as African American. I'll never knowingly and willingly set out to offend anyone, but please, let me in and I'll use my skills to bring these cultures together."    

But...what would Jesus do?
Well, He'd say "He who is without sin, throw the first stone."

Then He'd say, love her anyway.
He'd take her, despite her massive con job, and love her anyway.
He'd tell her that He'll be there beside her on the road back, when even her parents and brothers are mad at her.
Hold her hand when her world comes crashing down.
Yes, she faces harsh judgement. Let the legal and ethical experts deal with her crimes.
If given the chance, if we find her in a place that we can offer grace?
Be Jesus to her.
She's going to need Him.

Speaking of Him...

The only thing I've never needed to wonder about Jesus? 

How hard He could throw a stone.