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tell us when we're doing something wrong.""Through cruelty?" Manuel shook his head. "I think that's the wrong image of God, the one that Jesus came to correct. I believe suffering is just a sucky part of life--
    everybody's life. As Jesus said in Matthew: God 'makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain upon the just and the unjust."'Once again Manuel's citing of Scripture confounded me."And as for AIDS," he continued, "it's hurt a lot more straight than gay people, including millions of children. And do you realize lesbians have the lowest HIV rate of any group? If AIDS
    is a punishment from God, then he must love lesbians!" Manuel66grinned for a moment before turning serious again. "To link gay people and AIDS is simply . . ."--he paused as if measuring his words--"... ignorant."I folded my arms more tightly across my chest. Manuel was taking every church view I'd heard against homosexuality and blowing it away--blowing me away.I stared at him a long time, too annoyed to say anything, till at last I grumbled, "I'm going home."And yet, as I wandered through the evening twilight toward my house, I found my annoyance turning into prayer. "Could Manuel possibly be right?" I whispered to Jesus.When I got home, Pa was asleep on the couch, one shoe on and the other fallen off, snoring like he does. I stood there for a while, quietly watching him sleep and thinking about what Manuel had said about coming out to his family.Then I went to make dinner.67

Chapter 14
    THE NEXT DAY I FOUND MYSELF AT MANUEL'S HOUSE ONCE AGAIN, ARGUING
    IN THE KITCHEN WHILE HELPING HIM MAKE BROWNIES. THE SMELL OF
    CHOCOLATE FILLED THE AIR AS I CHALLENGED HIM: "OKAY, THEN, WHAT
    ABOUT 'LOVE THE SINNER BUT HATE THE SIN?""What about it?" Manuel calmly sliced the brownies. "I mean, think about that. Isn't it like saying, 'I love left-handed people but hate that they're left-handed.' Is that really love? Or is that saying, 'I'm willing to love you as I'd like you to be, not as you are'? Either God's love is unconditional or it's not." Once again Manuel had stumped me."Besides . . ." He handed me a steaming hot brownie. "Did Jesus ever say, 'hate the sin'? Or was his message, love the sinner and forgive sins, for who of you is without sin?""Yeah,"
    I replied, "but he also said, 'Go, and sin no more.' You think we should just let people do whatever they want and stand by doing nothing?""No." Manuel led me to his bedroom. "If somebody is obviously hurting someone, of course you should stop them.68But if I choose to love another guy, who am I hurting?""When you sin," I recited automatically, and dropped down onto his carpet, "you hurt God, others, and yourself."Manuel shook his head and sat down beside me. "How is love between two people a sin? Love isn't about gender; it's about two souls uniting.
    But okay, let's just suppose it is a sin. Then isn't that between God and the people involved? Who are you to judge? Isn't that the whole point in John's story of the woman taken in adultery? Time and again, Jesus' message was, 'How can you say, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when there is the log in your own?'"I blew on my brownie to cool it and wondered, Why am I trying to argue with a sinner who obviously has no desire to repent? And yet I found it hard to pull away."You know the most amazing thing about Jesus?" Manuel exclaimed. "It's not that he performed miracles. It's that he was who he was, no matter what. He raged at religious leaders, questioned prophets, and challenged teachers to stop being dishonest hypocrites, knowing he'd get slammed for it. Jesus hung out with outcasts and sinners because they weren't pretending to be anything other than who they were. He had the courage to be himself, every time he encountered anyone--whether it was a leper or a temple leader, a fisherman or a rich young ruler. He was true to who he was--always and everywhere--and that's what he calls us to do. To follow Jesus means that we've got to be