Andrew Marin > Quotes

“It’s time to pay more attention to living out what we believe instead of always trying to say it.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“Christians are to be characterized by loving all comers, not just those who love us.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“If you let any church people read this, tell them that I don’t have to be right to feel loved. I have to be dignified in our disagreement.”
― Andrew Marin, Us versus Us: The Untold Story of Religion and the LGBT Community

“There are three conclusive pitfalls that arise from practicing a cultural version of reconciliation: It perpetuates the current system. It does not invite any hope of peaceful or productive connections, as its end result is not based in mutuality but the need for ideological conversion. It is rooted in ethereal constructs, not real-time practicalities.”
― Andrew Marin, Our Last Option: How a New Approach to Civility Can Save the Public Square

“Reflecting on that time spent with Maddie, I'm reminded of the comfort Job received from his friends when they served as silent witnesses mourning with him. It was when those friends started preaching that everything went south. There are just times in life when words, any words, are inadequate. One of the most important things we can do in those times is to understand our role.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“Yet the intentional boldness that I am talking about is the same countercultural boldness that Jesus reflected throughout his time on earth—one rooted in discipleship. It's easy to stand with a sign; it's difficult and bold to intentionally live life with another human to make a significant impact for the kingdom.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“Authenticity is an expression of love. As such, it's an expression of God's calling on our lives.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“This type of love says that no matter who you are, no matter what you do or no matter what you say I have your back, and I refuse to give up — whether or not there's "change" — because my Father will never give up on me.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“Most gay Christians live in so much fear that they have learned how to proficiently blend in to their conservative surroundings. It's a great chameleon job on their part, but it's a heartbreakingly lost opportunity for authenticity on ours.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“Therefore the only way to faithfully carry out such a heavy calling is to place it back on the Creator who commissioned such a work. By reminding ourselves that we're not the solution to a person's salvation, we recrown the King in his rightful place as the center of each person's relationship.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“But still few are able to find it—to leave the judging to God, to leave the convicting to the Holy Spirit and to embrace the orientation of love. To worship with, go to church with, explore difficult questions with, be real with and be intentionally committed to live life with people who are honestly open to the call of God on their life. To hang out with people when they need someone, to offer patience when people need time and freedom to discover who they are in God. Above all, to praise the Lord for such wonderfully unique opportunities to love.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“The implementation of the first principle of CEM—actual reconciliation—can be summarized through the following process: Making the choice to live a lifestyle of reconciliation. Start taking actions as the constant pursuer of that which is disconnected. Engage with others, not by living in the false model of one’s own ideal situation, but in reality. Sustainably commit to such a journey regardless of the length or outcome, working together for a better here and now.”
― Andrew Marin, Our Last Option: How a New Approach to Civility Can Save the Public Square

“There is an unfounded perception that those who choose to build bridges in the middle of a polarizing topic are lacking any structured belief system (LaBarbera, 2011; Savage, 2010). That pronouncement is used as an attempt by those currently in power on each side to discredit the bridge builder’s work on each side. The supposed justification is that if a person or group is not clearly joining a side and taking a hard-lined stance one way or the other, is the bridge builder must then believe like the enemy—whichever side the enemy might be. That assessment could not be further from the truth.”
― Andrew Marin, Our Last Option: How a New Approach to Civility Can Save the Public Square

“Love, as set forth by Jesus, is the keynote of the new kingdom.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community

“Church is a place to give rest to your soul, a place of gathering where anyone should be able to come and involved themselves with a community of believers who are joined by a common faith in the Lord Almighty. Church is believers — transparent, real and raw. Church is a lifetime of discovery as people brace themselves against their neighbour so both are able to stand and walk together.”
― Andrew Marin, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community