I Believe There Are Sequins in Heaven

In my life, I have had the privilege of knowing one of the most phenomenal, and vivacious people that I’ve ever come into contact with. In high school, I stood in awe of his impeccable style, glowing complexion, fanning eyelashes and beaming grin. I coveted his bag collection and his extraordinary ability to piece clothing together. Joseph Veloz was born to be famous. He was and is to this day the most glamorous human being I have ever known. When he graduated (a year before I did) he left Norman and moved to the West Coast. I live vicariously through his Facebook pictures where he sports high-end designer clothing and is ever so boldly living the life he was born to live.

When I look at Joseph, I am confident in my own uniqueness. He will never know the impact that he has had on my life. His art is moving, his talent is undeniable, and above all things his personality and his love for others radiates and teaches me how to love. He is an iconic figure for me because of his self-confidence. Joseph is also an iconic figure for the Gay/Lesbian/Transgender and Bisexual community. I believe he is an incredibly positive influence for anyone who struggles with self-love issues. Because Joseph has always been himself, I am better at being myself.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting at a table in the cafeteria with a group of my friends and they began discussing their views on the gay community. What began as a general “feeling out” process quickly became a bash-fest. I became livid but I said nothing; I did nothing…I just got up and left. Since then, I have thought of nothing else. I am angry with myself for not sharing my opinion (though I know it would have never mattered). I often do not share my opinion as I do not want to offend my brothers and sisters in Christ, but this has been on my heart and I feel it necessary to compose.

I happen to adore the Gay/Lesbian/Transgender and Bisexual community.

I have learned more about godly love from them than I have from many of my friends in the Christian community (not that the two are mutually exclusive). I will expound on this by saying, it is unfortunate that this particular group feels the way they do (though they are as entitled to their opinion as I am mine). However, I cannot help but parallel them with the critics and the bullies that my dearest friend Zach Harrington faced for years before he took his life in 2010. The week after Zach’s suicide, a sermon was belched from the pulpit condemning homosexuality and sexual sin. I believe the Bible is 100% true, but I will never believe that what was said in that sermon was of God. I felt heaven when I was buried face down in Zach’s flannel hugs; I have no doubt that Christ was there. Furthermore, if Zach wasn’t able to make it inside the gates of heaven, then there is nothing but hell in store for me. I will never be more worthy of heaven than Zach Harrington.

I once met a transvestite at Waffle House who told me there were sequins in heaven.

I believe there are sequins in heaven.

I believe there are large, silver, illuminated vanities inside our own personal dressing rooms with our names engraved in the doors. I believe that there are drawers and drawers of fake eyelash selections…some with glitter, some with feathers, some that curl, some that are un-even, some that are metallic, some that are neon, some with gems and others that have no comparison in length or thickness! I believe that we will have lipstick in colors we can’t even conceive of and eyes-shadow palates with names like “Angel Dust”, “Hev-n-ly Glo” and “Glow-rius”. Sequins will be on every article of clothing, and we will be supplied with everlasting Aqua-Net to keep our locks perfectly in place.

I believe there are sequins in heaven.

But I also believe in a perfect Utopia where the lovely flowers of this nation would be deemed intelligent and responsible enough to choose whether or not they are capable of and financially, physically, mentally and emotionally supporting the life of an unborn child. I am a morally conservative, partially “Republican” (whatever that means) Christian that attends a Bible College in the thick of the “red” south and I am pro-choice. Let that resonate. If as Christians we honestly believe in free will, we should also believe in the freedom to exercise it to the fullest. I believe Christ believed in validation. If our government, which has no place in our private lives strips the women in this nation of a choice they also strip them of their validation. In turn, the choice is made for them…in the end what good does that do? I believe there is sometimes only a “best” choice, and the most humane, selfless and just thing to do in those situations varies from person to person. Do we not consider the fact that sometimes the life of the child in question might be worse than never being born? Either way-who am I to make that choice for another person?

Furthermore, I believe we grow closest to God when we are forced to ask the difficult questions and make the difficult decisions. If someone makes that decision for us then we are stripped of the opportunity to succeed or fail on our own terms; we are stripped of that opportunity by a group of others whose definitions of success and failure may not match our own. What if a person’s growth in Christ hinges on that decision? What if a person’s coming to Christ hinges on that decision? Do we doubt God’s justice so much, and think so much of our own decision making that we believe we should be allowed to dictate the lives of others? If we LOVE others, we should also validate others. We should respect their privacy. If we cannot find it in ourselves to lay down our lives for them, we should at least lay down our mouthpieces. Do I believe the unborn has a God-given right to live? Yes. Do I believe that abortion would ever be the answer for me? No. But, in no way is it my right to speak for my sisters in Christ and for the lost. That is not my place. That is between them and God and I have enough faith in God to know that if He has any part in it the right decision will be made.

Five years ago, in anticipation of the 08 election, I would have read this and been appalled. As a former “straight-party” voting republican who wanted to be the governor of Oklahoma, I would have written in and deemed these words “trash”. A lot has changed since then. I learned that I couldn’t represent a people group, when I was pro-life, sitting in the lounge of an abortion clinic, holding the hand of a friend in the throws of despair, knowing in her heart she was making the most humane choice possible. I also learned that Christ can make beautiful even the most treacherous of situations. Today, she is what the people at the Bible College would call “blessed”. Beside Christ, and her unborn child, she will stand when she enters the gates of heaven because of her godly love and her unshakable faith.

Five years ago, I didn’t believe there were sequins in heaven. I would have read this and asked myself “How can anyone who actually LOVES Christ BELIEVE these things?” To which I can now proudly respond to my seventeen-year-old self and to my beautiful friends at the Bible College,

It is BECAUSE I love Christ

That I do.