The L.A. Times did a story yesterday on the documentary “Wish Me Away,” which chronicles the coming out of country music artist Chely Wright. Wright also happens to be a Christian.

The film has already won the jury documentary prize at the Los Angeles Film Festival and at Frameline, the San Francisco LGBT Film Festival.

I’m waiting to see if I can score a screener of the film, but just from the video trailer above there’s one thing that stands out to me: very few Christians who point fingers at gay and lesbians, whether they are in or out of the Christian community, know the heartbreak their judgement causes.

It’s easy to stand on the outside and cry “Sinner!” and forget that not only are we all sinners, but that God says that we should be careful how we judge, because we’ll be judged by those same measures. Putting someone in a box without taking time to understand who they are and what they think and how they feel and what they struggle with is definitely not how I want to be judged. And it’s not how I want to approach other people, either.

I think if Jesus were here, he’d approach people like Chely – and Ray Boltz, for example – with loving compassion and open dialogue. That doesn’t mean you have to agree; it just means you have to love and listen.

Anyway, if you’ve seen this movie, do let me know what you think!

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