The best example of a true (what we now call) Bromance is the story of David and Jonathan in the bible.
Today in our culture it is encouraged to marry your soul mate. How-ever, in the bible the only two who were even close to being soul mates were David & Jonathan.
1 SAMUEL 18:1 “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”
King David is an earthly role-model for g0y Christian men to follow. He wasn’t perfect, but was close to God’s heart and a man of loyalty, friendship, and faith. We can’t prove that David and Jonathan had sex with each other, but it isn’t unthinkable with many ancient cultures. Throughout history men have loved each other, had non-penetration sex with each other, and still had a healthy traditional marriage and family. You don’t have to be gay or bisexual to have an affectionate relationship with the same gender.
Bromance: The word comes from the union of English words brother (brother) and romance. The first known record of this concept is due to Dave Carnie, editor of ‘Big Brother Magazine’, an American publication for skaters who came into the scene in the 1990s. Carnie used the word to refer to those fellow skaters, inseparable friends, who led a life of an almost sentimental couple.
This term does not refer to any strange illness, much less to a particular sexual preference. It’s simply a new way to explain the close and almost fraternal relationship you can have with an old or a good friend. According to a study conducted by the University of Winchester, this type of relationship provides great emotional support to men. Thus, you get benefits that otherwise would be hard to achieve.
This survey involved 30 straight college students who had to answer a series of questions about their relationships with other men, and the results were shocking. 93% of them had this type of relationship because they shared interests with their friends. “Our participants were able to express vulnerability in this type of relationship and disclose their personal conflicts without fear of being ridiculed,” says Adam White, one of the study directors.
A Testimony from Christian g0y Facebook group: “I have learned that trying to make a g0y bromance my own way didn’t work. When I was young, I tried to create a David/Jonathan relationship with some guys. I failed every time. I felt guilty that what I wanted in a relationship with another man was not what God meant it to be designed. I then took a risk. I asked God for that relationship and let Him chose my friend. I prayed for a few years, in tears sometimes, thinking that God didn’t want this for me. Little did I know that God was showing me how to be a true friend and was preparing my future best friend to like me. I’m glad I did it God’s way. Sadly, times do change. My best friend is married with a wife and children, and they live far far away. I still have a strong bond with my best friend, but I am searching again for another bromance. I have to be patient, and need to understand that it won’t be the type of friendship that i had with my best friend. My other David/Jonathan relationships are out there. God is just preparing me and them for each other. Prayer does work. I asked God many times in the past for a David Jonathan relationship. It took a few years, but I never knew that my g0y bromance was with-in my own family. God does answer, but His timing is better for you. Maybe you are not ready, or your g0y bro isn’t ready yet. Keep testing the waters and build trust with your male friends and one of them might share their feelings.”
Testimony from g0ys.org:
“After my brother came back from teen camp, I learned that a pastor’s wife was concerned about the hand-holding, arms around shoulders, and hugging going on between the young men at camp. She was especially worried by the use of the term “bromance,” and how the teens’ behavior might be seen in light of the recent Supreme Court decision.
I understand why this upsets adults who have seen their culture change from “men don’t have feelings” to one that encourages male expression of emotion and accepts homosexuality (two things not necessarily related, except in this sort of discussion). I know why young men expressing affection for their guy friends scares middle aged and older adults. I’m just not sure God shares their fears.
Then he [Joseph] fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.(Gen 45:14-15)
Similar scenes play out when Esau and Jacob are reunited (Gen. 33:4), when Joseph sees his father again (Gen. 46:29), when the Prodigal son returns (Luke 15:20), and when Paul says good-bye to the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:36-37). Now, you might say they just got swept away in emotional reunions or partings and that this wasn’t common among friends and brothers, but what about this scene?
When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.
Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” (John 13:21-23)
Obviously Jesus wasn’t doing anything wrong — He never sinned! Yet if our young men in the church lean against each other at a supper table, we lecture them on the evils of “bromance.” We make a digression every time we teach on 1 Samuel 20 to explain that David and Jonathan weren’t gay and that there’s nothing wrong with close friendships between guys, but then we lecture young men who have close friends? Talk about mixed signals!
Now, there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to interact with other people, but we can’t just make the blanket statement that the Bible forbids physical expressions of affection between two men (or two women, but we have fewer examples to draw from and “besties” aren’t my topic right now). I think we do our young people a grave disservice when we imply that there’s something unnatural about their friendships and make no effort to teach them how to express affection as men and as women. Just saying, “That’s bad, so don’t do it” isn’t going to work – touch is too important as a bonding mechanism among humans and there simply isn’t a Biblical basis for putting distance like that between friends.”
Christian G0ys (G-zerro-Y) 