Surely, what the world needs right now is yet another article talking about Bruce Jenner’s decision to begin identifying as a woman. Well, fear not, because this post really isn’t about the Vanity Fair unveiling of “Caitlyn” at all. In fact, I’d rather not talk about it–and that actually is what this article is about.
By now pretty nearly everyone on the planet knows about the former Olympian’s announcement that he is a woman, complete with hormone treatment and eventual surgery. The story is dramatic, it is tragic, and it is almost certainly none of your business.
With a sensational, controversial issue like this, the temptation to jump into the discussion and offer one’s own two cents is almost overpowering. And certainly, if someone asks for a biblical perspective on transexuality, we should be prepared to give them a good answer. But if you feel the urge to share your opinion about Bruce Jenner, it’s worth pausing to ask yourself why. I Timothy has a searching warning for those who “go around from house to house… gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention” (5:13). Are your words going to do someone some good, or are they just an expression of that driving American need to be part of the story, if only by talking about it?