Jesus stood among the disciples and said to them, "Peace be with you."
I have a feeling that if most of us had been abandoned by our closest companions in our moment of greatest need, the last thing we would do is return to them and say: "Peace be with you." After Jesus rose from the tomb, he appeared to his disciples and wished them his peace. He was not interested in what ever their reasons were for abandoning Jesus while he hung on the cross. Jesus wanted to bring some peace to his followers. Jesus appeared to his disciples and showed them his hands and feet to help deliver them from their fear and strengthen their faith. It must have been an amazing thing.
I wish that all Christians would seek peace among each other in the way Jesus desired peace after his resurrection. All of the hateful rhetoric towards people of different races, colors, religions, classes, sexual orientations and/or gender expressions/identities and so many other labels I could name here, is just so not in accord with the peace that Jesus desired to bring through his death and resurrection. When Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell made the decision to observe Confederate History month and omit the slavery of African-Americans which only raises the issue of racism in this country, it is so not the peace that the death and resurrection that Jesus Christ sought to bring to humankind. Christians are correct to speak up in peaceful ways against supporting such attitudes as if they are good.
At a recent Town Hall meeting Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was told that God allowed her to get breast cancer as a punishment for supporting health care reform. How should Christians respond to such terrible rhetoric in light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
It is apparent that the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ happened with a renewal of humankind in mind. God wanted to draw us closer to God our neighbor and ourselves. Yet the cross is often used as a sword of division, rather than the reason to love, accept and include those who are different from how others think they should be. The resurrection is understood as an excuse to live with attitudes of discrimination and violence. Such attitudes and behaviors have unfortunately been such a part of human history as well as the history of the Christian Church. They continue to this very day.
It is time to allow Jesus to show all of us his wounds and for all of us to recognize within them the unconditional and all inclusive love of God. Everyone is important to God, because in the death and resurrection of Jesus, God told every one of God's children that they are important to God. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people are one group of people that God loves in and through the Easter mystery. God recognizes within us, our uniquely wonderful way to love people. God knows us by name, because God fearfully and wonderfully created us. In Jesus' death and resurrection God has given LGBT people just like any group of people the opportunity to be redeemed and sanctified for the love and service of God's people. This is why actions like Proposition 8 and the work of the National Organization for Marriage, the pedophilia within the Catholic church being blamed on homosexuality and so many other anti-LGBT groups is so horrifically anti-Christian. When such groups target the equal rights of LGBT people to make sure our equal rights remain off the table and/or out of sight, they are saying that God does not recognize us. In short, they lie. In the long run, they defame the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
May those of us who are Christians, LGBT and progressive Christians who believe in social justice because God cares about the welfare of God's people, continue to work to bring peaceful resolutions to many of these situations. In the resurrection of Jesus we have the opportunity to continue our work of sharing the Gospel by speaking up for those of us in society and the church that are considered second class people.
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess in their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for Thursday in Easter Week, Book of Common Prayer, Page 223).
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