by Liz Flaherty | Jun 23, 2016 | Reflections
Unless you’ve been out of the country, on an introspective social media fast, or under a rock you’re well aware of the devastating nightclub shooting that took place on June 12th, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. A blood bath where fifty people suddenly were ripped away from their friends, family, and loved ones. As a Christian, my motivation for this blog post is not to address gun issues, terrorism, gay rights, Muslims, and so on. Today, I am writing about what I believe the justice and judgment of God to be and how we as Christian’s are mandated to represent Christ in situations where there is injustice. As much as there were ministries and Christians who responded with care and aid, I honestly was sickened by seeing well meaning Christians using this opportunity of tragedy to chime in their political and religious opinions. There were many that used it as a soap box platform for gun rights, stricter anti-terrorism laws and bashing the president. The worst of these misguided rants, however, were those who called it God’s judgment against sin in the LGBT community. John 3:17 NIV For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. This verse that comes after the famous John 3:16 – one of the few scriptures people memorize – sets the stage for Jesus and His plan of redemption. This plan was not to condemn the world but save it through Him. When we encounter the love of Christ we are adopted. We are no longer strangers or orphans, but we belong to...
by Liz Flaherty | Mar 31, 2016 | Reflections
Excited to see my sweet friend of over twenty years, we followed her two year old as she wandered into one of the spare rooms to play. Sitting down on the floor with May’s little girl we began to chat as if no time had passed. It was at least a year or so since the last time we were face to face. In that time apart, I had published my book. I was anxiously awaiting my friend’s feedback as we were watching her little one show mommy the teddy bear she found. Getting feedback on your life story is an interesting experience. Usually, it’s a lot of “wow I didn’t know that” or a more common response from my friends is “you actually wrote a book”. I love hearing the perspective of all of my friends and acquaintances from all different walks of life. I asked most of my friends who I wrote about in the book to choose their own name so to keep their identity private. “May” was the name my friend chose which I felt was fitting of her being blonde and beautiful. Since May was featured in the book I was guaranteed at least one reader. We visited for a while and then she studiously looked at me. “Liz can I ask you a question?” And without hesitation, perhaps knowing by some sort of divine revelation or maybe the fact that when you know your friends so well you know what they are going to say before they say it, I answered her before she asked. I said “am I still attracted to women?” Her...
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