Coming Out and then Coming HOME

Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son's Journey to God. A Broken Mother's Search for Hope by Christopher Yuan and Angela Yuan is the story of a mother and son finding God and coming “home” to him in the midst of some really painful situations. For Christopher, it was homosexuality and drug addiction. For Angela, it was the pain of a near loveless marriage and the agony of Christopher’s revelation. The years that followed Christopher’s coming out would prove to be a true lesson in perseverance for them both. Each chapter rotates between the authors and their story is beautifully intertwined.

As I read the accounts of Christopher’s journey and Angela’s resolve to love her son no matter where he was at in his life, I knew I had fallen short in my own journey as a mother. As a parent, we often say “I would NEVER be ok with that”. That is, until you face it head on. If I took anything from this book, it was that God can forgive our sin, heal our hearts and make our lives new. That’s something I’ve heard all of my life, yet I don’t think I really understood it until hearing this very touching, personal story. Angela and Christopher found God, period. They were his to begin with, but didn’t realize it until they journeyed into the “far country” just like the Prodigal Son portrayed in Luke 15 in the Bible.

Life really isn’t about our sexuality as we define it (homo or hetero), but about HOLY sexuality, living a life that is pleasing to God. Christopher and his story of redemption gave me hope for the hurts in my own life and it also changed the way I look at those who identify with being “gay”. As a Christian mother, it challenged me to truly see my children the way God sees them, which is loved and cherished. It challenged me to see all of God’s children this way.

This book has a section with discussion questions that can be use in a personal or group setting. I would recommend this for anyone looking to find God on a deeper level, even if you haven’t had homosexuality or drugs touch your life in some way personally.

I was given a free copy of this book by Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.