Looking ahead to next Sunday and Jesus "the Good Shepherd".

Two years ago a gentleman living in the Bible Belt DMd me asking about how I can reconcile my sexuality and my faith. I prepared myself for a quick back-and-forth having all the usual "clobber passages" thrown at me...

..ending with me blocking another homophobic troll.

But that& #39;s not what happened.

In his 2nd message, he said he& #39;d always been taught to see it one way, that he took his faith and the Bible very seriously, and that he& #39;d always just "loved the sinner, hated sin", but now...

..his son had come out to him 2 yrs before. He and his wife had refused to accept it or talk about it. The son left home and was living with a partner whom they had never met. Their daughter (still at home) was no longer talking to them, angry they had driven her brother away.

"So I guess what I& #39;m asking is, how do I remain faithful and not lose both my kids?"

We had several conversations. We discussed scripture, sexuality, his kids, his church, his view of God.

One day he messaged: "My son is coming for dinner and bringing his boyfriend."

I messaged him a week later: "How& #39;d it go?" He messaged back "Tense. Weird. Hard. But good. We& #39;re talking."

And that was it. He disappeared off Twitter. He had my email but I never heard from him.

One day a parcel arrived at my church. A statue of The Good Shepherd...

...with a note, saying "I was a lost sheep and you found me. And I still have my faith. I still have my lambs. So thought this would be a good way to say thank you."

I put it on my office windowsill next to a crystal cross, which refracted the light.

I took this photo for him.