Chosen, Not Rejected

Biblical Passages:

Leviticus 18:22

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.

Psalm 139:13-14

¹³ For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.

Reflection

Leviticus 18:22 has long been used as a line of division, a verse pulled out and placed like a boundary marker to determine who belongs and who does not. For many queer individuals, this passage has not been experienced as a sacred text but as a tool of rejection, often delivered without context, compassion, or care.

Yet Psalm 139 offers a radically different lens. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb… I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” This is not a conditional statement. It does not exclude. It does not carve out exceptions. It affirms that every person is intentionally created, known, and loved by God.

The tension between these passages is not simply theological; it is deeply human. It reflects the ongoing struggle between interpretations of Scripture that isolate and harm, and those that restore dignity and belonging. When a single verse is used to override the broader witness of love, care, and intentional creation, we are called to pause and ask: What kind of God are we reflecting?

Queer individuals do not exist outside of God’s design. Their lives, relationships, and identities are not accidents to be corrected, but realities to be understood with humility and care. Pride, in this sense, becomes an act of reclamation, a refusal to accept narratives that deny one’s worth.

The deeper invitation of Scripture is not exclusion, but recognition. To see clearly, to love fully, and to honour the truth that every person is created with intention and dignity.

Prayer:

God of creation, remind us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Teach us to reflect your love and to honour the dignity of every life. Amen.

Author: Lauren Michelle Wickham

About the Author: Lauren Michelle Wickham is a global finance and communications professional with experience across the United States, the UAE, India, and beyond. She brings a relational and justice-oriented perspective to faith, focusing on dignity, belonging, and bridging lived experience with spiritual truth in complex, multicultural environments.