Andrew
Marin is trying to bridge a gap that has widened remarkably in recent
years. It's the gap between conservative Christians and the lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender community.
Marin's vision is bold and his commitment is deep. The evangelical and his wife recently bought their second home in Boystown, Ill., -- Chicago's official gay neighborhood.
Self-Professed 'Homophobic Kid'
Stroll down the streets of Boystown and you'll find a multi-faceted gay world -- low-key couples carrying groceries and dining out in trendy restaurants -- to the more flamboyant types and rainbow themes that abound everywhere.
Marin has lived in Boystown for 10 years. The densely populated neighborhood is the home to many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people and all the businesses that cater to them.
It's not your typical ministry setting. However, Marin is about as comfortable here as any straight, fresh-from-the-suburbs type evangelical could hope to be.
Still, it wasn't always that way.
"I grew up the biggest Bible-banging homophobic kid you ever met," he explained. "I grew up in a very white, very conservative upper middle class suburb of Chicago."
Marin explained when his turning point came.
"The summer after my freshman year in college, my three best friends all came out to me in three consecutive months" he said. "And it just ripped my world apart. I had no idea what to do."
So as Marin puts it, he ran.
"I think the church is wonderful at telling us what
we need to think, feel, and theologically believe. But not so good at
providing a framework for follow-up and follow-through," he told CBN
News.
Source: CBN News | Heather Sells
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