Do LGBT Christians Exercise Humility?

I am happy to report that thus far The Affirmation Declaration has 610 signatures and growing. If you read my blog and you have not yet added your signature to this wonderful declaration of Faith and inclusion, please do and invite others to as well.

At the end of our Gospel reading today Jesus says: "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." (See Mt.23:1-12). This verse has significance for me, because I am an Oblate of St. Benedict. In his Rule for Monks, St. Benedict dedicates chapter 7 to humility. St. Benedict invites us to set up a ladder which St. Benedict equates with the ladder that Jacob saw angels ascending and descending (see Genesis 28:12). "Without doubt, this descent and ascent can signify only that we descend by exaltation and ascend by humility. Now the ladder erected is our life on earth, if we humble our hearts the Lord will raise it to heaven." (Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 7, Page 32). Not all people are called to be monks living such a strict life and understanding of humility. However, humility is something that all of us are called to at one point or another. In light of what this blog is about, I want to talk a little about what humility is and is not for LGBT Christians.

Humility for LGBT Christians is not denying our sexual orientation. Humility is also not participating in an ex-gay ministry. Last night Rachel Maddow did an interview with Richard Cohen whose work has unfortunately been responsible for encouraging the anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda. Participating in a group that seeks to change the essence of our sexuality is not humility. It is also not humility to allow someone like Richard Cohen or Fr. Paul Check of The Courage "Apostolate" to suggest things like NARTH which recommends reparative or "change" therapies for the "treatment" of homosexuality. Contrary to their own opinions asking God to "change" what he has beautifully and "fearfully made" (Psalm 139:14) is not a humble thing. Not when it is followed by attitudes of suicide and self loathing or even self righteousness which is the total opposite of humility. Humility for LGBT Christians is also not refraining from healthy, loving, and committed relationships. Humility is not listening to the Pope say LGBT individuals and our sexual acts are "intrinsically disordered." (Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 2357, Page 567).

Humility does involve a sense of self acceptance and a healthy understanding of our responsibilities to ourselves and other people. Humility includes a willingness to confront the fact that many Christians including Courage, Richard Cohen, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Peter LaBarbera and Maggie Gallagher do lie and distort who and what LGBT individuals are. Humility is our "humble" acceptance that we are lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgendered and God is madly in love with who and what we are. We have every right to celebrate that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). Our humility as LGBT Christians understands that God has given us an incredible gift in our sexuality and that gift is to be used to celebrate how much God loves us and how much God wants us to love others. One of the best Catholic Priests I ever knew taught me that I have to love other people the way God created me to love them, to do anything other than is to deny God's call in my life.

Humility admits when we've made mistakes. Humility tells someone that we've hurt that we are sorry. Humility tells someone who is being untruthful about homosexuality and Christianity that they are not correct. Humility stands up and calls on religious leaders and our politicians to defend the civil rights of LGBT individuals. Humility tells us to call out Evangelical and Catholic leaders who use their religious "authority' to commit Spiritual violence towards LGBT people. Humility is interested in how HIV/AIDS continues to impact the world and there is not enough done about it. Humility accepts when we are rightfully angry with those who continue religious and political oppression of LGBT people and calls them to enact laws of justice and equality. Contrary to popular belief Pride parade gatherings are actually very humble and peaceful ways for the LGBT community to come together and call on people to recognize us as more than second class citizens.

Humility also understands that like all people who stand up for those who are marginalized in society and even the Church that we will often be persecuted by those who claim to be Christian. Jesus Christ was hated by the religious establishment of his day for being closest to those who were perceived as being the outcasts of society and the Church. It is an ironic fact of life that even in the Church those who work hard to do the right thing are more marginalized than those who are marginalized. Jesus Christ was accused of being friends of the tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners, because he was their best friends. He put a valuable face on them, when the religious establishment of his time put them outside of the worshiping community. While the religious establishment exalted themselves by demanding respect for the fact that they knew how to recite the laws, sat at the front tables at banquets and got the respect of people in the streets, Jesus who was God's perfect revelation spent his time bringing into God's Church those who had been regarded as worthless. As much as LGBT Christians need to continue the work of justice and equality, to be delivered from religious and political oppression, we should also consider ourselves blessed to share in the life of Jesus Christ as we do. By standing up for the truth, we are rebuked as was Jesus. By calling people see us as more than second class citizens, we are responded to as if we are less than second class citizens as was Jesus. When we act to bring attention to the issue of HIV/AIDS we are seen as associating with the "worms" of society, as was Jesus. So, see, we are in the right place.

We are invited today to be people of faith, hope and love. God calls on each and every person in the Church to be instruments of God's peace and humility. The Church is a place of God's inclusive love of everyone, with no one to be excluded from membership or service of God's people. All people including LGBT Christians are called to live holy lives through daily prayer and service to establish a society of justice and equality for all of God's children. How are we exercising humility in our work for justice and equality in the Church and society?

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, #62 A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis, Page 833).