Chapl. Jason Jasper

I firmly believe God loves ALL of us in spi­te of our ­mistakes, both past and future. The proo­f is that ­He sent Hi­s only son­, Jesus Ch­rist, into­ the world to pay the ultimate price on our behalf, death, making i­t possible­ for us to become pa­rt of His ­eternal fa­mily. Matthew 22:37-40 reads, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and most important [greatest] command. And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the law and the writings of the prophets depend [are based] on these two commands.”

After coming out as gay to my extremely religious, Baptist, family as a teenager my mother asked me if I was still a Christian and how I knew I was still a follower of Christ. To be honest, at the time I wasn't exactly sure what to say because I had been brainwashed my entire life into thinking that to be homosexual meant to be without God. But if growing up Baptist taught me anything it was remembering scripture. So, I quoted John 13:35, where Jesus says, "All people will know that you are my followers [disciples] if you love each other," and Galations 5:22-23, which reads, "But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, There is no law that says these things are wrong."

I told my mother in spite of what our Baptist faith touted about salvation and a vengeful God, it forgot about the most simplest fundamental rule, which is to love. Other than coming to terms with my sexuality, I was still the same loving son she had always known striving to live my life expressing each of the fruits of the Spirit.

My passion as a Chaplain is helping people find their purpose in life and living openly as their true self in all their God-given diversity.