Q & A

Q. So your boss was on Oprah. Big Deal. Isn't it time to move on and write about something else?

A. Not today. Not when I've spent a good chunk of my day helping respond to emails like these:

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Thank you Mr. Bacon for so publicly saying that “gay” is a gift from God. I have struggled with homosexuality for many years. I grew up in the Southern Baptist church and always felt that maybe God didn’t love me because of the way I am. I tried years to change it, but when I finally accepted myself, I began to thank God for who I am. Had I not been a gay man, I may not have had the many talents or the success given my upbringing. I would love to visit the All Saints church. Are there other members from the GLBT community that attend you church?

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I just watched Rev. Bacon on the Oprah show and was moved to tears by his kindness and compassion. My father died of stomach cancer when I was 9 years old and on the day he died I stopped believing in God. The Reverends remarks about how God does not give diseases struck me at my very core and I am still crying as I type this. Moreover, his comments to the young gay gentleman were so incredibly kind and loving. I would like to reconnect with God. I live in New York City and was wondering if your church had a sister organization in NYC. I would like to find a Reverend and a church that shares Rev. Bacon's approach to spirituality. Would you be able to recommend a church in New York City? Or perhaps how I may start to figure out how to find one?Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.

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I am a volunteer counselor at a suicide and crisis line for gay teens. When I started training I was staggered by the number of gay teens that attempt suicide, 3 to 1 over their heterosexual counterpart, and now as a counselor I find that most of the calls involve conflict about religion. So many teens across this country are torn between their sexuality and their faith. As a counselor, it is frustrating to have so little to say to be able to ease their often desperate anxiety. Your words on The Oprah Show, I am confident, changed the lives of many kids. There are so many conflicted kids who are trying so hard to do what's right, I know that your words saved some of their lives. I, myself was moved to tears. I wanted to commend you for you bravery and your clarity, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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Q. Will you proclaim by word and example of the Good News of God in Christ Jesus ... [even on The Oprah Winfrey Show?]

A. I will, with God's help!

And let the people say Amen, Amen, Amen!