It is interesting what we take for granted until that something is no longer there. A sign on the highway tells us how far we have to go before the exit we are looking for. A stop sign tells us to stop. When we are looking for the grocery store that sign tells us we have arrived. When a child has been abducted there are now large electronic signs that will tell us there is an Amber Alert. How many times do people involved in collisions say that they did not see the sign?
As Bishops in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion collide over the issue of ordaining openly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered clergy and Bishops I wonder if they are paying attention to the signs that the days of using the Bible to condemn homosexuality is passing? The days of not ordaining women as Priests and Bishops have been passing for well over 20 years. Yet many individuals in the Church are against this progress of the ordination of women and GLBT Priests and Bishops in the Church. Are Christians paying attention to the signs of change that God is inspiring? Or because they do not see the signs they are use to seeing, are Christians just going the same old way with business as usual?
In the Gospel today, Jesus tells the Pharisees and Sadducees: "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." (Matthew 16:2,3). How is it that we can see people of different races, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities/expressions, abilities, challenges and the like and not give them greater inclusion in the ministry, life and governance in the Church?
I tend to agree with Bishop Gene Robinson who suggests in his book: "In the Eye of the Storm" that the problem is fear. People are literally afraid that if they include LGBT individuals in the ordained and leadership roles in the Church that they will discover how wrong they have been all these years and have to eat their own crow.
I have to say that from my years in the closet and having been involved in the Catholic church's ministry called: "Courage" that I am eating a tone of my own crow these days. I used to write blogs on Yahoo that were against LGBT individuals and women and the liberal agenda. However through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit who led me to a greater acceptance of myself and because of the loving support of my husband Jason, the acceptance and loving support of the Priests and people at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral I now enjoy a new understanding and appreciation of the fact that God made me and loves me as a gay man, and I can be very happy about that. However, I have to eat all of my own crow for all of the things I once wrote or said about homosexuals, because I am one of them. I am loved by God as I am, for who I am and God cherishes me as one of his precious treasures and pearls.
In today's Gospel Jesus warns the Disciples to be careful about taking in the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus sees the self righteous indignation of the Religious leaders of his culture. Jesus warns his followers not to follow in their foot steps. Today the very sad and troubling news has reached just about everyone in the LGBT Community that the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, DC has bullied the City with the threat that if they continue their work towards marriage equality, the Archdiocese will be forced to no longer continue their work on behalf of the poor and homeless within the district. The overwhelming response of LGBT indiviudals and our supporters have been why is the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington bullying LGBT individuals by exploiting the poor? Or why is the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington exploiting marriage equality by threatening the welfare of the poorest of the poor? Is this a real example of listening to Jesus and the signs of the times? Or are the Religious leaders of the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington absorbing the yeast of arrogance?
I think that there are signs to all people of various religious, racial and political backgrounds to see very clearly. There is a new direction the Holy Spirit is calling the Church to in our time. There are danger signs all around of how prejudice and discrimination is destructive to society and the Church a like. One of those signs is that the negative religious voices within the Catholic church, the religious right and conservative politics are not the only voices we have to be listening to. There are voices like Bishop Gene Robinson, Bishop John Shelby Spong and so many other positive voices about LGBT people speaking very clearly. The voices saying teaching that the Bible really does not condemn homosexuality in the way we thought it did for all those years, are among God's many signs that it is time for the Church and society to change. Who is paying attention to the signs God is showing us?
"I will thank you, O Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, and I know it well." Amen. (Psalm 139:13).
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