Luke 10:25-37 (NRSV)
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. 'Teacher,' he said, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?' He said to him, 'What is written in the law? What do you read there?' He answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.' And he said to him, 'You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.' But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' Jesus replied, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, "Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend." Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?' He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' Jesus said to him, 'Go and do likewise.'
I am really excited about today. This evening St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis is going to host Catholics for Marriage EqualityMN with Catholic theologian Daniel Maguire speaking at this event. The local Roman Catholic Archbishop has really been doing some major damage to the LGBTQ communities this past year. In April he invited the National Organization for Marriage along with the Bishop from California that pushed for the passage of Prop 8 to begin an anti-marriage equality campaign in Minnesota. Earlier this month the Minnesota Catholic Conference including every Catholic Archdiocese and Diocese in Minnesota sent out a DVD encouraging Catholics to support anti-marriage equality candidates for office in Minnesota. The additional point of the DVD is to push for a State Constitutional Amendment that is against same-sex marriage.
I like to look at this as the LGBTQ communities already beaten and battered by the robbers of heterosexism and homophobia. Over these past few months we have witnessed the terrible destruction of the lives of LGBTQ youth through suicide because of bullying. In June we heard Judge Walker declare Proposition 8 as unconstitutional, as well as Judge Phillips declare the Don't Ask, Don't Tell is also unconstitutional. Judge Phillips has requested that all attempts to dismiss openly gay or lesbian service members from the Military cease immediately. A day after the Pentagon issued a request for Service recruiters to accept openly gay or lesbian service folks in to the Military, a federal appeals court granted a Stay that allows DADT to be in enforcement once again. So many of us in the LGBTQ communities are angry, discouraged and feeling like our President is betraying us. Our communities are so wounded. The Catholic church is only adding insult to injury. Passing on the other side of the road.
We Episcopalians though we are not really Catholic in the sense that we do not believe and live under the human made teachings of a Pope, we are also not really Protestant in the sense of Martin Luther or John Calvin. The Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church embrace all that is good about both traditions, including the Eastern Orthodox and pulls them all together in one. We are a combination of Anglo-Catholics, Puritan Protestants and even some Evangelical and Charismatic traditions. We have high, moderate and low styles of worship. We celebrate the Mass in which we believe in the Real Presence of Christ, but we leave it to each and every individual to decide how Christ's Presence in the Eucharist is Real for them. We have conservatives, liberals, progressives as well as Religious orders, Bishops, Priests and Deacons. Episcopalian's one document of what we believe and pray is the Book of Common Prayer. We have some of the best Cathedrals in the World, as well as some of the most down to earth people. We have people of deep faith. At St. Mark's we commit our community to the full inclusion and integration of LGBTQ people into our Parish. We also operate a weekly Monday Night Supper, Sunday Night Supper on the 2nd Sunday of the Month, and a weekly Warm Space for individuals who are in need. And tonight we get to reach out to a group of people who having been battered and bruised by spiritual malpractice and doctrinal abuse, and give them some solace as they hear a different word, a healing word from one of their own theologians.
As Episcopalians when we renew our Baptismal Vows we are asked the question: "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human person?" Our response is: "We will with God's help." (BCP Page 294). Striving for justice and peace and respecting the dignity of every human person means reaching out to those who are wounded, being brutalized by anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and becoming a person and/or place of healing and encouragement for all who are marginalized by society and the Church. When Jesus tells us in today's Gospel: "Go and do likewise" Jesus is challenging us to decide how we can go and do what the Good Samaritan did. Each of us can do something to reach out to those who have been left on the side to die of starvation either through physical,political/social violence or spiritual malpractice and doctrinal abuse.
What Jesus is describing in today's Gospel is the ministry of radical hospitality and reconciliation. A Benedictine and Christian value. Christianity does not hold a monopoly on truth. When we become ambassadors for Christ through the ministry of radical hospitality and reconciliation, we do show the truth about Jesus Christ as opposed to the bad Name he gets through Christianists and arch-conservative Catholics.
When two people who are in love with each other whether LGBTQ or straight and wish to get married, they are fulfilling the request of Jesus to "go and do likewise" in today's Gospel. When we marry and love the person we are in love with, we are loving Jesus. When we give a home to our spouse, partner, best friend and lover and support her or him with our loving commitment through good times and bad, sickness and health we are taking in someone who is in danger of being left on the side of the road, wounded and dying. Marriage Equality is an opportunity for Jesus Christ to be both served and honored in LGBTQ people, because he would be totally and unconditionally loved regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression/diversity, just as God has loved all of us unconditionally. It is an opportunity to bring into the Church those who have been wounded by the Church through spiritual malpractice and doctrinal abuse. We will heal the wounds as we pray for healing through the administration of the oil of gladness, and the Inn Keeper who is God, will gladly do the rest as God reconciles LGBTQ people who were once rejected by the Church. All efforts to eradicate the sin of heterosexism, by changing the laws and systems that allow discrimination against LGBTQ people are efforts that God ordains and blesses. In so doing we are responding to Jesus' command to "Go and do likewise."
Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 24, Book of Common Prayer, page 235).
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church, Book of Common Prayer, page 818).
Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen. (Prayer for the Church, Book of Common Prayer, page 816).
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