More Pulse Survivors Who Abandoned Gay Lifestyle After Shooting Talk About Their Faith: ‘Thank You, Jesus’ By Tré Goins-Phillips for Faith-Wire
Angel Colon and Luis Javier Ruiz probably shouldn’t have survived the 2016 massacre at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando. But they did, and the deadly shooting sparked radical transformation for both of them.
Colon and Ruiz sat down recently with Christian blogger Julie Roys, who recorded a podcast with the two men.
After realizing he had miraculously survived the June 16, 2016, killing, which left 49 people dead, Colon thanked God and promised to use his life to share the Gospel.
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“I look around again and everybody that was around me was dead and I am alive,” he said. “And I just started thanking God: ‘Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. … The moment I get out of here, I’m testifying about you. I am worshipping you for the rest of my life.’”
Colon’s transformation wasn’t immediate, though. Weighed down by fears of how those around him might react to his decision to abandon the gay lifestyle and embrace Christianity, his conversion took time.
But after watching Ruiz step out, Colon had the courage to embrace the faith that saved him. Colon, when he finally spoke out, said he and Ruiz “became these men, these soldiers, these generals that aren’t scared anymore to share wherever they go the Gospel of God.”
One of the reasons Colon was so hesitant to walk away from the LGBTQ community and run toward the church was because of the backlash Ruiz faced for his conversion.
