From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah." At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"
In the last week or so I have gotten involved with a new Facebook group called: "Stamp Out Homophobia On Facebook." Whoever does the graphic poster like art does a tremendous job. There have been many inspiring phrases that have made their way to my news feed. One of the most brilliant I think is: "I would rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I pretend to be."
More and more I believe our Lord Jesus was crucified for our sins, yes, but on a social justice level he was killed because of how he loved. When someone loves others, those who are marginalized because they are different, people have to make an "other" out of that person. Jesus was the "other" that made people in their comfort zones a bit less comfortable. People who had established rules and cultural norms as to how the stranger should be treated or the leper should be separated from the community, seeing Jesus making his best friends among them was just too much to handle. Seeing someone who was suppose to be a great warrior and Messiah who they were hoping would come with a great army of victories, instead came with a message of peace, forgiveness of one another and a call to love one another as Jesus loves us. For too many people that is just more than they can take.
I believe that LGBTQ people and other minorities are in very much the same situation. Whenever we talk about the subject of love, a very important component in that conversation is sexuality. Our society and even the Church over the course of time due to erroneous Bible interpretations and a colonial civilization have made up in their minds, a criteria for the "privileged" person. If you are white, male, heterosexual, healthy, speak and write English, are Christian, have a four to six figure income etc, you are among the privileged in society. If you are so unfortunate to be none of the above then those who are get to design laws, programs of social, religious and political regulations for those who are not.
Interestingly enough, Jesus was first and foremost a Jew. Jesus was poor, had no where to lay his head. He was the friend of the homeless, the sick, the physically, mentally, spiritually challenged. Jesus gave a place of honor to the eunuchs. Jesus raised up the status of women and those outside Jewish cultural norms. Jesus healed the same-sex lover of the Roman Centurion who in today's Gospel recognized him as the Son of God. Jesus even gave a name and face to the dead. It is because of Jesus' unique commitment to loving as God loves that he was put to death. The love of God in Jesus is unconditional and all inclusive. The love of God sees all of God's children through the eyes of loving compassion and plenteous redemption. The white, healthy, heterosexual, English speaking and writing, Christian who is wealthy has every opportunity to receive God's salvation in the crucified and risen Christ as does anyone who is black/red/tan/, LGBTQ, woman, challenged, any other religion, speaks or writes any other language, lower class, poor, unhealthy, etc.
Today is a wonderful day for immigrants in Arizona. Breaking news has just come through that a Federal Judge has blocked the most controversial parts of Arizona's immigration law. It is most embarrassing that in a nation that has such a great monument as the Statue of Liberty that says: "Give me your tired, poor, etc" we have to have a judge blocking an unjust discrimination law in the first place. Immigrants come to this nation seeking a better life than what they left. Many of them are escaping serious oppression, only to find more awaiting them here in the United States. This is hardly evidence of being a hospitable, welcoming and free Christian nation.
As we recall the death of Jesus in our Gospel today, let us remind ourselves that it is our moral duty by virtue of our common Baptism to love others as Jesus loved. There is a price to be paid. It may be our reputation, our financial status and depending on the circumstance even our lives that are put on the line. However, we also know that the story of humankind's redemption did not end with the crucifixion of Jesus, but continues with the resurrection, his ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. As long as we earnestly seek the will of God to love God and others to the best of our ability and seek the common good of others, it doesn't matter what our nationality, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, challenge, sickness, religion, class, culture or whatever it is, might be. What matters is that we are willing to love and be loved. As the great hymn reads: "God is love, and where true love is God himself is there." (Hymnal 1982, No. 576).
O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 11, Book of Common Prayer, Page 231).
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Oppressed, Book of Common Prayer, Page 826).
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. (A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis, Book of Common Prayer, Page 833).
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