Dear LGBT Community,

I want to start out by clarifying where I come from and how I feel regarding the horrific attacks of this past weekend. First off, I am straight, a devout christian, a loving wife, an ordained minister, and I believe, based on what I see in the new testament scriptures, that homosexuality and other alternative sexual lifestyles are a sin. I’m not here to convince you why or argue what I believe, that is for a different time and a different day and would be greatly insensitive of me in light of the traumatic experiences of the past several days. Now that we got that out of the way, let me tell you why I am writing you today.

This past Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning, while I was struggling to sleep and tossing and turning in my bed, a horrific attack took place on our nation’s soil. An attack fueled by hate and anger towards Americans, and more specifically towards gay Americans. The horrors of those events and the hate that incited those murderous acts is heartbreaking, painful, and has brought many tears to my eyes for many reasons – the loss of life, souls eternally lost, etc. As someone who holds the views I do, I can affirm that disagreement with the lifestyle of another does not equate hatred of that person. The shooter took his religious views and the hatred of those views, which call for the execution of homosexuals and is still widely practiced in the Middle East, and he sought to carry out this execution and twisted idea of “mercy’ and “compassion” in Orlando, FL at the Pulse nightclub. I think we can all agree that what this person did was wrong. At the end of the day, it wasn’t a small interest group that was attacked, AMERICANS were killed brutally on American soil by someone politically aligned with America’s enemies.

Secondly, my heart has broken over the news reports of pastors getting up Sunday morning and saying, “People say, like: Well, aren’t you sad that 50 sodomites died? … Um, no, I think that’s great. I think that helps society. You know, I think Orlando, Fla., is a little safer tonight.” and similar statements or claiming that this was God’s judgement. As a devout christian let me say, they DO NOT speak for me. Do I believe your lifestyle is a sin? Yes. But, I also believe in a loving and merciful God who is “… restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.” (2 Peter 3:9 MSG). I don’t believe that God was behind this attack, I don’t believe it was His judgement, and I don’t believe that He is rejoicing over the lives lost, and I don’t believe these pastors and ministers are speaking from the heart of God. I DO know that God loves you and that He is actively pursuing you with His love, mercy, and kindness. I DO know that those who are close to the heart of God are pursuing you with unconditional love, the message of the Gospel, and the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. I DO know that we are here for you in the wake of these attacks to minister and love on you and help in the healing process. I DO know that we stand together as Americans and the attack was an attack on Americans. Period. We mourn those who were murdered, we pray for their families and loved ones and grieve with them and we pray for those still fighting for their lives as a result of their injuries, and we pray for those who have been traumatized and forever changed by the events that took place in that building a few nights ago.

If you or someone you know is seeking help, answers, or simply someone to pray with them, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the link below. Despite the “christians” being portrayed on the news media, I AM here for you and I AM loving you, praying for you, and believing God’s best for YOU!

With Love,

Jessica T. Cappel

Please feel free to contact me here: