Recently, a firestorm erupted when Jason Thomas shared to Facebook a letter he had received from his church one year ago. The letter, detailing reasons for his removal from active church membership, cited Jason’s departure from core beliefs of the church since he had chosen to pursue a homosexual lifestyle. 

As is the case in today’s cultural climate, reactions online covered the gamut of emotions, from outrage and hatred, to shock and disbelief, to support and understanding. And once again, one hotly debated topic became the nature of love, namely Christian love. Had the church acted in an unloving manner? According to the world, this answer is an unequivocal “yes”; the church, however, has a different take on the situation.