Jim Helmuth’s Crossing the Bridge tells the story of a Mennonite boy becoming a free
gay man creating his own kind of family, faith, and love of life. What
distinguishes Helmuth’s story and gives it universality is how Helmuth, in
finding his own way, finds his own voice but leaves no one he loves behind.
While Helmuth never dismisses the pain of others along the way, or his own, he
shows in this memoir how we must all achieve freedom or our lives become
impossible.
I suspect you will come to love the man and his unique voice; his
journey belongs to us all.
Thomas Dukes, author of Baptist Confidential and Sugar Blood Jesus: A Memoir of Faith,
Madness, and Cream Gravy * * * *
Crossing
the Bridge is a courageous memoir by a
psychologist who has lived two lives, as a devoted husband for twenty-two
years, and the father of two children, and as a gay man enjoying a stable and
loving relationship with another man. This is the story of how Dr. James
Helmuth grew up within the painfully narrow confines of the Mennonite religion
and nearly took his own life in the process of discovering and living his true
gay identity.
“Unsparingly
honest, this memoir reads often like a mystery story, sometimes like a tender
recreation of the past — always as a poignant, bittersweet narrative of a boy
becoming a man…and a man becoming his true self.”
Joseph Dispenza, author of God On Your Own and The Way of the Traveler.
* * * * * *
"There
are tens of thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans who
are still victims of religion based bigotry. They grow up hearing the
untruth that homosexuality is a sickness to be healed and a sin to be forgiven.
There will never be enough autobiographies like James Helmuth's Crossing the
Bridge
that demonstrate dramatically the tragic consequences of these untruths but at
the same time tell the truth from a deeply personal perspective.
This
is the truth Helmuth proclaims and this is the truth at the heart of Soulforce
and our work to end religion based bigotry in the Catholic, Protestant, and
Mormon communities of faith: "Whether lesbian, gay, bisexual or
transgender, God created you and loves you exactly as you were created. And anyone
who tries to convince you that you are sick and sinful should be loved,
forgiven and ignored."
After
a dramatic retelling of his own struggle to self acceptance, Helmuth announces
to the world that he is gay, that he is proud, and that God loves him without
reservation. There is no greater truth for the victims of untruth and Helmuth's
autobiography proclaims that truth loud and clear.
The
Rev. Dr. Mel White, Founder of Soulforce, Inc and Author of Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America," and Religion Gone Bad - The Hidden Dangers of
Fundamentalism.
+ + + +
"I
am the oldest of James' family of origin. We are six children - four boys and
two girls. I encouraged Jim to write this memoir once I knew he was considering
doing that. I bear witness to Jim's honesty, openness, and willingness to
finally claim who he always was and is now.
Jim
loved life enough to travel a difficult and painful journey to be free. He is
living into and out of that reality with joy and meaning. He maintains positive
relations with all in his family and his siblings who are open to that. For
the sake of being of help and encouragement to others who are on a similar
journey, Jim was willing to be vulnerable in writing this memoir as he shares
his journey with integrity and openness.
Jim
did not ask me to write an endorsement but I offered to do it and he
accepted. I love and appreciate him very much and have been blessed by
having his partner Rich as a part of my life and a part of the Helmuth clan.!
