The Collegeville Bible Commentary tells us that today's Gospel of Matthew 18: 1 to 10 gives us two very different understandings of children around the time that the events this Gospel is illustrating would be taking place. On page 888 of the New Testament Volume Matthew 18: 1 through 4 refers to children not having any legal rights to anything. While Matthew 18: 5 to 10 refers to those described as "simple and good-hearted member(s) of the community who could be led astray."
When Jesus speaks of the children in the verses 1 to 4, he is telling his disciples that if they want to achieve greatness, they have be willing to become one of the least. The question the disciples were raising was based on what the leaders of their faith were promoting. Somehow those who sit in great places within the religious community of the time were ranked and they believed that is how their place in heaven would be decided. The religious leaders thought that because they were in leadership positions in this life, that somehow they would have those places reserved after death. And so they promoted themselves as the "higher ups." Somehow anyone who was not where they were on earth, when they got to heaven was probably also going to be on a lower end. The disciples were coming to Jesus wanting to know what their place would be. Who would rank among the greatest? Jesus answers their question by telling them that if they want to have greatness with God, they need to become like those who really have nothing.
This is a very timely conversation is it not? It is interesting what happens to people when they climb the corporate ladder to become a CEO. Better yet, I remember what it was often like when I served Parishes as an organist and music director. I would sometimes find myself working for an older Priest with years of experience being Pastor of a parish, working along side an inexperienced assistant. When the opportunity came, sometimes the younger Priest would say to me that when he becomes a Pastor, he will never do the things that his older brother Priest did. Since saying that to me, this younger Priest is now a Pastor and well, he's finding out exactly why the more experienced Priest did what he did, and he now works in very similar ways. Good leaders and managers are those who though they possess great knowledge and experience do not use it to lord themselves over people, but use them as opportunities to learn even more and become wiser through newer experiences.
I think God is challenging the Church to come to that place where they realize that all of the years that they have rejected lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, they were not doing it right. Rather than think that they know everything based on what they have always understood, the Church needs to open itself to learning new ways of approaching LGBT individuals, couples and families. LGBT individuals, couples and families are like the little children as described in the first part of today's Gospel. They come with very little rights that protect them. They often come from families and whole communities both religious and secular that have rejected them and labeled them as failures. LGBT individuals come to the Church broken by prejudice, discrimination and hate. Gay youth often come to churches after having been thrown out of their parents homes, businesses and communities. They are confused, afraid and really need to be loved, embraced and affirmed. The hurt feelings of LGBT Youth and adults need to be validated and given an opportunity to heal.
However, the experience that many LGBT individuals both youth and adult experience is often like the second group of children described in today's Gospel. LGBT individuals come to Pastors, churches and many of them even to their own parents looking for love, support, understanding and acceptance. They are "simple and good-hearted member(s) of the community". Yet, many of them are led astray. They are told that they are sinners, that they've broken their relationships with God. Many are told that the feelings they experience for people of the same sex are not of God, and they were not created this way. They are told that if they want to make peace with God and the Church, they must "repent" and change their lifestyle. Many LGBT youth and adults are told by church leaders that they are the way they are because in the case of a man their masculinity was not approved or supported, and so they went looking for it through erotic behavior. Examples like this are the "simple and good-hearted members of the community" coming to the Church for help and the leaders of the Church "lead them astray." Instead of helping them to see that being gay or lesbian, bisexual and/or transgendered is a gift of God they are told that they are dirty, ugly, immature and "intrinsically disordered." I know of very few Pastors, Priests and Church leaders who would tell an African American that she or he is "intrinsically disordered." Almost no religious leader looks at a woman and tells her that she is "disordered" for being a woman.
In the movie: "For the Bible Tells Me So" Archbishop Desmond Tutu says: "I cannot imagine God saying to someone "I cannot accept you, because I wish you had been created as a straight person." Those who are preaching a message that suggests that God will reject someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered, are leading the little children astray. Christians who know better need to speak up and tell the truth. LGBT individuals who know better need to speaking the truth. Legislators and people who write the laws of our country need to recognize this as a crime and speak up about it.
There are countless examples of men and women who once were led astray by those who would say they were worth nothing in the sight of God because they are gay, but have since accepted who they are and know that they are loved and must help other LGBT people to know that too. One such person is the Rev. Dr. Mel White. The Rev. Dr. Mel White used to be the ghost writer for Jerry Falwell. Mel White spent a great deal of time with people like Dr. James Dobson, Pat Robertson and many others. Rev. Mel White has since come out and accepted that he is gay. Rev. White is now a minister in the Metropolitan Community Church and is the founder of Soul Force. Soul Force seeks to end the Spiritual Violence towards LGBT individuals. Rev. Dr. Mel White is the author of an incredible book entitled: "Religion Gone Bad."
This upcoming weekend Soul Force, Truth Wins Out (TWO) and Beyond Ex-Gay will be holding the Anti-Heterosexism Conference in West Palm Beach Florida. At the same time the Anti-Heterosexism Conference is being heald the NARTH (the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality) presents their conference defending the use of reparative therapy. Earlier this year the American Psychological Association (APA) came out with a report of how damaging and destructive reparative therapy of sexual orientation is. They are recommending that therapists associated with their organization not use reparative therapy and not recommend it to any of their patients. Reparative therapy is an area where Christians are leading LGBT youth and adults astray with the wrong information. And I think that churches and psychological therapists who do this kind of thing need to be held accountable. If you know of someone who is going to a therapist who uses reparative therapy consider reporting that therapist to the APA. Also, consider suggesting to an individual who is going through reparative therapy that they are participating in something that is bad for them. Become a voice of truth where the lies are still being told.
As Christian people, we need to be aware of how the least are being treated. It is our mission as Baptized followers of Jesus Christ to seek out the lost, the captives and the blind to help them. When Jesus read from the Prophet Isaiah in Luke 4: 16-19 Jesus was reading his "inaugural address" In his book: "In the Eye of the Storm" Bishop Gene Robinson writes: "If you want to know what being a follower of Jesus is about, just check out his inaugural speech." (Page 117). How are we doing with that?
"Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, #36 For the Oppressed, Page 826).
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