The God Box by Alex Sanchez

What it's about (from Goodreads): How could I choose betwen my sexuality and my spirituality, two of the most important parts that made me whole?

High school senior Paul has dated Angie since middle school, and they're good together. They have a lot of the same interests, like singing in their church choir and being active in Bible club. But when Manuel transfers to their school, Paul has to rethink his life. Manuel is the first openly gay teen anyone in their small town has ever met, and yet he says he's also a committed Christian. Talking to Manuel makes Paul reconsider thoughts he has kept hidden, and listening to Manuel's interpretation of Biblical passages on homosexuality causes Paul to reevaluate everything he believed. Manuel's outspokenness triggers dramatic consequences at school, culminating in a terrifying situation that leads Paul to take a stand.

What I learned: Where do I even start? I grew up in a loving and wonderful evangelical Christian family. My entire extended family are conservative Christians and I grew up going to church and youth group every week. I was homeschooled for several years and went to a Christian school for three years. I was even a missionary kid for two years when I was young. What I'm trying to say is that from the first time I heard about the concept of homosexuality, I was taught that it was a sin. The Bible said it was wrong, just like getting drunk or being proud or lying. Just as I could be friends with people who lied (and I lied enough on my own) or got drunk, I could be friends with people who were gay. My parents treated a gay friend of mine in high school just like any of my other friends but still made it clear to me that he was sinning. I agreed with them, mostly because I couldn't imagine disagreeing with my parents on almost anything. In college my opinions started to change and I realized that I could decide things on my own, no matter how much I respected my parents and their beliefs. For the past two years, the idea of homosexuality and Christianity and how the two worked together - if they did - has been on my mind a LOT. This winter I asked my dad (whom I don't see that often since we live 5 states apart) why God said homosexuality was a sin. I understood everything else that the Bible condemned because it hurt someone - murder, cheating, lying, drunkenness, etc - but I couldn't see how being gay hurt anyone. My dad couldn't really answer the question. That really made me think. My dad is extremely knowledgeable about the Bible and has memorized more Bible verses than anyone I know (one of my friend's dads told me just a few weeks ago that my dad was a champion Bible verse reciter). Our bookshelves growing up were half full of kids' books and half full of Bible references, studies and other books about Christianity. All were read. I knew that if my dad didn't understand why homosexuality was a sin other than the Bible saying it was, there was no way I could.

Then I picked up The God Box. I'd heard about Alex Sanchez on and off through the many book blogs I read, but the description of this book caught my interest. I wanted to know how Manuel justified being gay and being a Christian. While I have to say that I didn't find the writing to be spectacular, I was blown away by the events of the book. Paul questions his desire to be with Manuel and wants so badly to do the right thing in God's eyes. He struggles to a heartbreaking degree with his feelings. I'm unquestionably straight but I could empathize a tiny bit with Paul because I too wanted to do what was right by God and what I thought was right in society. I knew all the Scripture passages addressed in the book and I loved Manuel's explanations of them. It is so hard to know exactly what the Bible is saying in all places. I always wondered why people focused so much on the Leviticus passage that said it is not right for a man to lay with a man as he does a woman when just a few verses away it says that no one should tattoo himself, yet I know many Christians with tattoos who say homosexuality is a sin. I could keep going on and on about the Bible and what verses people use to say homosexuality is wrong, but I'm not going to.

This book changed my mind once and for all about Christianity and being gay. I now have absolutely no hesitancy saying that there is nothing wrong with being gay. For years I felt a little bit guilty about condoning gays and lesbians because I thought it was wrong. I am so glad to have a firm stance that I can support with passages from the Bible and strong arguments to the commonly cited "anti-homosexual" verses. While the book I read is from the library, I'm seriously considering buying it so I can reference it in the future.

If you've read The God Box, what did you learn? (I hope everyone learned something from this book!)