Yesterday was a historic day. When President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard/James Byrd hate crimes bill into law yesterday the long hard work of Judy Shepard saw the goal she worked for become a reality. I am continually amazed at the fortitude of Judy Shepard. When most of us experience the murder of a loved one, we might let the anger and grief of what happened weigh us down, causing to go deep into ourselves and say the hell with the rest of the world. Judy Shepard did not do any of those things. I am sure Judy's grief over the way in which her son Matthew was murdered, followed by the local Police Department saying that they had no funding to investigate such a crime, left Judy often feeling alone and like no one would listen. However, that did not stop Judy Shepard from using her horrific situation to achieve great things. You would think that after the years of pushing for the Hate Crimes legislation in Congress only to have former President George Bush say he would veto the bill, that Judy would just give up. But no, that did not stop this mother from seeking justice for others who could experience what happened to her son. Judy continued to sign copies of her book. She continued to speak about her son's death despite people calling her a "liar". And yesterday, October 28th she saw all her suffering and efforts result in changing the laws of the land.
This is the kind of love and devotion of a woman seeking to do the right thing amidst very difficult circumstances. This is how the word of God goes beyond being an abstraction, to becoming really alive and active in the world around us. This is the word of God falling on good soil and reaping much good fruit, even with all the thorns and weeds trying to keep out the good fruit that is trying to grow.
As I read through today's Gospel of Matthew 13: 18-23, I am struck and yet troubled by some of the language there. I think all of us have those moments when the words of Jesus reach us, but there are the thorns in our life that choke what is said. Addictions, challenges, relationships, events and news that all play their role in making it difficult for God to take hold of our lives and make a difference. I also think that we have to be careful about looking at ourselves arrogantly and thinking we are the good soil, while others who are different from us are some how not good soil. Everyone has issues in their lives that can make hearing God speak to us difficult and sometimes troubling.
Clearing the issues that make it difficult for us to listen to God is a process that every person has to go through for themselves. Everyone's situation is not the same. However, because God is God and because God loves us as much as God does, then we have to conclude that there is no situation too difficult for God to work through. Through prayer, quiet times and asking God for the help to trust in God to help remove the obstacles that keep us from hearing and knowing God clearer, we can find ourselves in that place where God's grace is reaching out and healing that which is broken.
One of the many obstacles for people to draw closer to God is spiritual violence. When someone makes use of Scripture, Church authority, religious principles in an attempt to change the very essence of who someone is, that is not pastoral counseling. That is spiritual violence and abuse. This is a common experience for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people. When voices like the Catholic church speaks through ex-gay ministries like Courage and tell LGBT individuals that their "condition" is "intrinsically disordered" it is no longer good Spiritual advice. It is pastoral and spiritual violence. When ex-gay ministries like Exodus create "fix camps" to try to "change" people's orientation, even though they are doing it out of "loving concern", they are doing spiritual violence to LGBT people. When devoted Christian parents address their children after they come out saying that they will one day "grow out" of being gay, that is not a loving response.
Let's compare what I wrote above with an entirely different approach. Telling an LGBT person that they are loved as they are, and calling them to grow in a healthy respect of themselves and in their relationships, now that is good Spiritual counsel. Calling LGBT individuals to give up the unhealthy practices of promiscuity and work towards healthier relationships where they are truly loving other people as opposed to using each other is good progress. Looking at the brokenness with which LGBT youth often come to the Church and finding LGBT Priests, Pastors and members who can help them integrate their sexuality in healthy ways with their Spiritual lives, that is good Spiritual and Pastoral advice. That is helping LGBT people find ways to help them listen more clearly to God's word.
Jesus came into the world to give people who feel lost find hope and meaning. Jesus Christ through out his earthly ministry gave sight to the blind, called those on the sidelines to be included in the household of Faith. The Church that Christ calls is one that is inclusive and welcoming to all who wish to discern God's call in their lives. Jesus invites everyone to the Eucharistic table to experience the healing of God's holy presence.
What role will we play in discerning God's call in our lives? How will we help others listen for what God is saying to them? What are our attitudes towards people who are not quite like us? How do we respond to those who want to get closer to God, but have situations we do not understand?
As we continue on our journey of Faith, let us ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in our attitudes of inclusion and be sure that the Church is a "House of Prayer for all."
This we pray in the Name of God who is +Creator, Servant and Life-Giver. Amen.
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