By now most people on the planet have seen the picture of the “new” Bruce Jenner on the upcoming cover of Vanity Fair. As a Dad who is raising a son to be man, the very idea that culture is praising Bruce Jenner for his so-called “brave” and “courageous” decision is such a foreign idea to me.

I remember Bruce Jenner winning the decathlon in Montreal Canada in 1976 making him the male athlete of the year — the guy got on the Wheaties box! When I look at the upcoming cover of vanity fair I see a man plastered with makeup, hair extensions and wearing who-knows-what-that-is. His entire persona has been artificially altered by hormone pills, Photoshop, and plastic surgery.

What happened?

There’s a tremendous amount of buzz in the mainstream media and social media spaces, but here are some items that caught my attention. The White House said that President Obama believes Bruce Jenner’s transition into Caitlyn shows “tremendous courage.” Bruce Jenner’s “female” alter ego Caitlyn got over a million Twitter followers in four hours. Wikipedia has already gender altered the history and lifestyle of Bruce Jenner. Caitlyn Jenner will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPN Espy’s this year.

Really?

There are so many thoughts swirling around in my head right now, but I want unpack some of them as I feel they are very important in the conversation of today’s culture.

Bruce Jenner Is Not A Woman!

In today’s post modern culture the meaning and image of true masculinity is seriously getting diluted, but Bruce Jenner is not a woman no matter how much of this false reality he wants to believe. Come on folks, a woman is a woman because of her biology, which Bruce Jenner does not have — and never will! He will never have the capacity to create and carry life, he will never have the soul of a woman and he will never have the mind of a women. Since the beginning of time men have tried to figure out women; what makes them tick, how they love, what they’re thinking and their overall being. Bruce Jenner might only be able to imitate a mere fraction of these — superficially at best.

The world narrative is loudly preaching that there is no longer any real distinction between a “transgender” woman and a real woman. Men, when it comes life and love, I hope you can clearly recognize the difference between a real woman (in all of her God created beauty) and a transgender. Seriously guys, what would you do if you found out the girl you were dating or going marry used to be a man?

I’m sure this article is starting to bother some and I am ready to be called everything under sun, but let me be clear that this world is searching for authentic men and I refuse to let anyone take my man card or trample on authentic manhood!

Is Gender Reassignment Surgery The Solution?

Is this “new” version of Bruce his authentic self?

Is the whole gender reassignment surgery craze the new norm or simply a massive identity crisis?

Did God make them this way?

I don’t have all the answers, but there are more and more stories coming to light that having gender reassignment surgery is not the solution. As a being we are a body, a mind, a soul and a spirit. Try as much as we will to alter our exterior or take on a new mindset…we cannot change ourselves into a new self. People are not the next iPhone or commodified product.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article titled ‘Transgender Surgery Isn’t the Solution’, we read the following commentary from Dr. McHugh the former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Most of the surgically treated patients described themselves as “satisfied” by the results, but their subsequent psycho-social adjustments were no better than those who didn’t have the surgery…At the heart of the problem is confusion over the nature of the transgendered. “Sex change” is biologically impossible. People who undergo sex-reassignment surgery do not change from men to women or vice versa. Rather, they become feminized men or masculinized women. Claiming that this is civil-rights matter and encouraging surgical intervention is in reality to collaborate with and promote a mental disorder.

This is a big topic of debate, but I ask you to keep your mind open to the “after effects” of gender reassignment surgery as you are to glorying it.

My final thought on the identity piece is that I do feel a great deal of compassion when I look at what Bruce Jenner has become — which leads me to my final thought.

What’s The Christian Response To Bruce Jenner?

If the love of God is not for Bruce or now Caitlyn Jenner, it is for no one. As followers of Jesus Christ, making fun of, mocking or insulting transgendered people does not make room for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. These responses are not characteristic of Jesus Christ and shouldn’t be characteristic of those who follow Him!

We don’t have to fully understand a situation to love someone in the situation.

We don’t have to understand or condone someone’s choice to love them.

Jesus did NOT condone the choices of the woman at the well; five failed marriages and living with a man who was not her husband. The Samaritan woman at the well symbolizes all of us who have used their best efforts to satisfy the yearning for love and completion.

Jesus did NOT condone the woman caught in adultery — but He loved her. As the people began to put down their stones and walk away, the scene is left with this woman and Jesus alone in the town square. She is wrapped in nothing but a bed sheet and her shame. Jesus says “did they not condemn you?” “No, none of them Lord,” she said. Then Jesus says, “Neither do I and go and sin no more!” Wait a minute, what? Right next to this incredible tenderness, kindness, love and grace…in the next breath, Jesus says stop it because He doesn’t want to leave us where we are at.

Jesus did not turn away from the lost, in fact He stepped into their lives — and He loved all of them! He loves Bruce Jenner and He loves you!

For those who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ, stepping into this narrative is going to mean some wisdom and conviction. The answers the modern world culture if offering up can’t relieve our core issues, only Jesus Christ can.

Here are some final thoughts.

• We need to stand for God’s good and original design as Jesus makes clear in Mark 10:6, “But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.” Our lives are part of God’s creative act, not some self-willed post modern cultural labels of society.
• In this broken fallen world, not one of us is the person we were created to be. Each of us has, in some way or another, distorted the image in which we were made and the emptiness we so want to fill is a deep longing to fulfill our God-given identity and purpose.
• We all suffer and we are all desperate for love, hope and acceptance. Although gender reassignment surgery is a drastic measure, people need compassion and community, not ridicule and rejection. Yes, even from the church!
• We cannot separate the the body from the soul or spirit and trying to, heals neither. We need to invite Jesus into our woundedness and not hide it because where we are wounded most deeply, we most need the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

Lets bring this all together.

Gender reassignment and altering pronouns will not fix Bruce Jenner.

Before God formed Bruce Jenner in the womb He knew him (Jeremiah 1:5) and God’s hope isn’t for Bruce Jenner to become a woman, but to become the man he was created to be. God loves him despite his choices and what he’s done. God took the initiative by trading Heaven for Earth to set things straight — to get him back. There is an epic battle going on for the human heart and God wants to rescue his.

My prayer is that Bruce Jenner will find healing in the loving arms of our graceful God.

My prayer is that his heart will be rescued!