Desiring God
Meditations for the gay man and other edgy people
by
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This is my book of lamentations. It is a book of pain and frustrations as well as joy, hope, and God’s grace.
Inspired by the Psalms, I went back to the Bible to find myself and to find healing, and salvation. I have mirrored my life journey in different Bible texts. Looking for something to cling onto, I found the God of love.
As you read through this book, you will read about a whole range of human emotions just like in the Psalms. I may be furious, but at the end of the reflection, I may have found new faith and trust in the God who turns evil into good. A God who is not far away, but who is at our right hand (Psalm 16:8). It is also a God who is not sorting everything out with a snap of His fingers. For me some of His solutions were quite different to what I would have preferred and prayed for. But He is there, and He was there.
I am reminded of Joseph’s conclusion after many years of hardship in Egypt, “Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it. This was to keep many people alive, as he is doing now” (Genesis 50:20, God’s Word Translation).
Sometimes our lives are messy. Mine was put on pause as practically everything changed over a short period of time. This is my story. I wrote these reflections before everything had been sorted out, as I wanted a testimony of my experience of God walking with me through the wilderness. There are books telling the stories of many wonderful breakthroughs. Writing about faith in hindsight is easy, but I needed faith to get through the darkest valley (Psalm 23:4). I hope this book will help you in whatever situation you may find yourself.
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About the Book
What do you do when your world comes crashing down?
Arno’s world suddenly changed, when he came out as gay, divorced and was thrown out of the church he founded and had pastored for many years.
How do you deal with the anger, bitterness, and the grief of seeing your life and ministry fall apart?
This book is his spiritual journey through the wilderness. It describes his search for a relevant, meaningful, and loving faith. A faith that could take him through the dark valley and heal the wounds of spiritual abuse.
Arno is reflecting on being gay and Christian, longings, and desires and how he found a more beautiful gospel. It is a book of hope for minorities and all who experience discrimination and oppression: The Kingdom of God is for you.
About the Author
Rev. Dr. Arno Steen Andreasen is the co-president of the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups. He has been a pioneering pastor, overseer of a network of churches, managing director, and social entrepreneur for decades. With a calling to preach, train leaders, and write books, he is passionate about developing thought-provoking training projects and qualifications as well as health and social projects.