Luke 13:31-55. How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
A television advertisement shows an incident happening on the street in slow motion and from three perspectives. The first shows a rough looking man with long, unkempt hair and a studded leather jacket running down the street and pushing a gentle looking businessman with a briefcase against a wall. The scene is then shown again from the victim’s point of view, with his fear of the oncoming man and shock at the assault. Finally, from the third perspective above, the viewer sees a stone come loose from a building and fall toward the sidewalk. The rough looking man is now revealed as risking his life to push the businessman out of harm’s way to safety.
Jesus pushes us out of harm’s way from spiritual death. We react sometimes with anger at the stern words we hear. We sometimes respond with dismay. But Jesus tells us that behind the stern words is someone who loves us and wishes to gather us under his wings for protection. What might we need to do to see the whole picture? (2004)
There are times when we wonder why God allows disappointments and failures to happen to us. How come that relationship with someone we might have really cared about did not work out the way we had hoped that it would? Why didn't our preferred candidates win the election this Tuesday? Why don't we have equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people? Why are conservative Christian groups like the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), or the Family Research Council (FRC) and others like them appear to be gaining ground that make intolerance towards LGBT people seem plausible?
Just because NOM and other groups won their cases in Iowa, and a so called veto proof majority in New Hampshire and so forth, does not mean evil did not occur in those instances. It does not make the message of God's love and the mission of equality and inclusion of LGBTQ people in the Church and society any less important. In fact, it means that we all need to be more forward by telling our stories and building movements for change from the stories we tell. These are opportunities for God to use us in amazing and wonderful ways to bring about justice and real change. The climate towards LGBTQ equality has been gaining ground and this is why our foes are more and more on the offensive. As tragic as the bullying has been that has resulted in youth suicides, they are signs that less and less people are as intolerant of sexual and gender diversity as was the case only 10, 15 or 20 years ago. Those who are intolerant or won't accept equality and inclusion of LGBT people are stooping to the lowest levels of justified cruelty to give discrimination and violence their voice and power. This is not the time for LGBTQ people to let go of our voices and power. Just because those less tolerant of diversity won, doesn't mean we cannot challenge them to change.
I want to invite my blog readers to an exciting opportunity this upcoming February. My partner Jason and I are on the Host Committee, Planning Committee and Spiritual Committee for Creating Change 2011 Minneapolis put on by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Over 2,000 LGBT equality activists will converge together in Minneapolis, Minnesota February 2nd through the 6th at the Hilton Minneapolis. We will have local and national speakers, workshop, exhibitors, entertainment and more. Most of all, we will be talking and encouraging our LGBT and allied communities to work for progressive change. This conference will be very useful not only for LGBT equality, but for other progressive causes. I will be facilitating an Ex-Gay Survivors Caucus at Creating Change 2011. At our Caucus we will be sharing our stories as well as talking about how we can turn our ex-gay survivor experiences into opportunities for grassroots organizing that impact where we live, work, go to church or not, in whatever way we can. You can register for Creating Change 2011 here. Among the folks you will meet is the people who operate The Task Force's Institute for Welcoming Resources. You will also have the opportunity to visit our wonderful church home of St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral.
I don't know about the rest of you, but TGIF. This week has been very disappointing and heart breaking for so many of us. We have worked hard to do the right thing, and our communities continue to take hits from people claiming to be doing God's work. Unfortunately, they cannot see the devastating effects of all what they are doing. We must pray for them as well as ourselves. Most importantly, now is not the time to give up. I do believe that God wants to use this week of tragic losses to help us turn them into opportunities to "create change" everywhere and anywhere we can. God is calling us forward with a new understanding and vision. God is reaching out to help us, by calling us to work for that climate of change. Are we ready and willing to answer?
Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen (Proper 26, Book of Common Prayer, page 235).
God, the source of all health: So fill my heart with faith in your love, that with calm expectancy I may make room for your power to possess me, and gracefully accept your healing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Trust in God. This prayer was written by The Rev. Andrew T. Gerns, M.Div, BCC Director of Pastoral Care, St. Joseph's Hospital, Parkersburg, West Virginia).
O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer in Times of Conflict, Book of Common Prayer, page 824).
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