Cheryl Moss Tyler

BRENTWOOD, TN (ANS) -- “And You Invited Me In” is a newly released novel that captures the reader’s heart with an unforgettable story and true-to-life characters. The story is about issues the conservative church struggles with on a daily basis: HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and spouse abuse. The author, Cheryl Moss Tyler, has written a book that comes from the heart of God and teaches us how to extend grace when it seems impossible.

Until the early 1990s, however, Cheryl says that she held tightly to her  ultra-conservative Christian beliefs with specific regards to homosexuality and persons with HIV/AIDS. Things began to change when her landlord became critically ill with the AIDS virus. While coordinating with the doctors and getting his home ready for his unsuspecting family members, Cheryl found there was a gap between what was preached in the church and what was actually lived out by her fellow conservatives.

“This dying man had been an active member of their huge church where the pastor preached that AIDS was a curse on the gay community,” she said. “There was always a strong message for what the gay community should be doing, and this man tried to follow each step.”

However, after Cheryl called the church, one of the assistant pastors visited him only one time.

“As the daughter of a pastor, I grew up believing that the body of Christ should be actively involved with their parishioners, and one visit to the hospital just didn’t cut it,” Cheryl continued. “During the same period of time I discovered that pastors were being blocked from the AIDS ward of a local hospital—unless specifically requested by a patient—because these preachers were telling these dying men that God gave them their illness.”

Little by little scenarios of years past came to her mind. In 1987 a pastor told Cheryl and her husband, Michael, they could not bring a man with AIDS to church because the pastor “did not want that plague” in his church.

As well, in the late 80’s Michael spent hours taking care of a man with AIDS—a man whose wife and kids left him once they discovered his secret life. This man had no strength to cook or clean, and was all alone in his house. Ironically he had been a pastor of a small church—where were his friends? Where were his former colleagues? Certainly there should have been one person out there to care enough to help rather than a total stranger sent there by the local AIDS foundation.

Finally there was Cheryl’s old friend Jeb, who had left his wife and children for another man. Jeb had been childhood friends with several guys, one of which was a minister. When the minister found out Jeb—his buddy from birth—was gay, his response was: “…his sin is too great for me to ever speak with him again.”

Long after her landlord died, Cheryl pondered the question: How can a person remain consistent with his or her conservative values and still love a gay person just as Jesus loved them? Was it possible to overlook the virus and simply minister grace to a person with HIV/AIDS? And even more: Was unconditional love still possible in a time when this social crisis was evolving in the United States between conservative Christians and the gay community?

Nearly twenty years later, each side still debates these issues, and at the end of the day families are still separated.

“There are people who long to be reunited with their loved ones, but they can’t get past the hurt,” she said. “As conservative Christians we believe that Jesus is right here with us in our daily lives. Would our day be better spent figuring out a political strategy or showing the simple grace of Jesus? Honestly consider if given the political scene or ministering to the basic need of unconditional love, where would Jesus be? ‘And You Invited Me In’ is the secret to walking out grace and restoring hearts.”

In thinking about recent dramatic events of unconditional love, Cheryl said we should consider the response of the Amish community when a shooter came to their school?

Cover of her new book

“As well, remember that church in Colorado where the shooter killed two girls and injured their father, and then the pastor arranged for the family of the shooter to come and be restored,” she continued. “Any of these could have grieved this evil done to them, but instead they went above and beyond what most people would do to reach out. That was a picture of the grace of Jesus. He came to reconcile the world to him, and it can only be done through conservatives walking in his steps.”

Cheryl Moss Tyler is a licensed professional school counselor with a large metropolitan school system in Middle Tennessee. She has received two Masters from Vanderbilt University—one in special education and another in school counseling. Cheryl and her husband have two daughters: Lizzi is a college freshman and Michaela is in middle school. As well they now have four dogs…recently acquiring a dog their neighbor moved away and left on the porch. More about the book can be found on her website: www.AndYouInvitedMeIn.com. This also features her weekly blog. You can contact her at CherylMossTyler@aol.com

Since the death of their landlord, Cheryl and her family have first hand heard the pain of rejection, the cries for understanding, and the desire for reconciliation from those whose hearts have been broken.

She concluded by saying, “Are you willing to try? ‘And You Invited Me In’ is a road map for you on this journey.”

Dan Wooding, 67, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma of 44 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. danjuma1@aol.com.