Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 (NRSV)
Jesus put before the crowd another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, `Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' He answered, `An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he replied, `No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!"
Blog Reflection
The subject of ex-gay groups have been all over the news these past two weeks.
On Friday, July 8th, Truth Wins Out put out a press release about the clinic operated by Marcus Bachmann. Marcus Bachmann is married to Michele Bachmann who is the representative of Minnesota's 8th Congressional District and also a Presidential Candidate for the 2012 election.
In the press release Truth Wins Out (TWO) revealed that they had sent John Becker an undercover staff member to receive counseling services from a so-called therapist at Bachmann's clinic. During the session, it became very clear that the counselor was performing reparative and/or ex-gay "therapy" with Becker. The counselor attempted to "change" John Becker's sexual orientation. The "therapists" methods were not based on any scientific fact. The work that the "therapist" did was based on the illogical and harmful work of the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). During the "therapy" sessions, the counselor referred to his perception of how God creates a man to be attracted to women, not other men.
Being an ex-gay survivor myself, watching the clips via the news media this past week brought back some memories. I remember the days of being involved with the Catholic church's ex-gay group Courage, that was started in the 1980's by the Late Cardinal Cook. I remembered the first time the Courage Chaplain told me that God created me as a straight man, but that I have a "problem" known as "same-sex attraction (SSA)." A problem that was most likely brought about because of my father who was emotionally and psychologically abusive. There were various reasons mentioned for what my "problem" was.
As I have listened to the rhetoric this week, including AFA's Brian Fischer remark that the Bachmann's are the "victims of a hate crime, because of their heterosexual orientation," I became very disturbed. Even with the research of the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association of reparative/ex-gay therapy which is done at Bachmann's clinic.
Reparative/ex-gay therapy is based on ignorance that plays into fear that creates and nurtures horrible atmosphere around individuals and whole communities based on our sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression.
In the Gospel today, Jesus tells the parable of the weeds and the wheat. In the explanation of the parable Jesus states that he is the sower of the good seed and that the sower of the wheat is the evil one. He describes the weeds as good only for burning.
What frightening imagery!
What is also fearful about the wheat and weeds imagery is how often it is used by preachers and even ex-gay "therapists" to scare LGBT and questioning individuals from youth to adulthood, into believing that their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression are "weeds" that are ruining the good seed that God has sowed with in them. This imagery along with the interpretation and application are all misplaced and incorrect.
As I have written in many blogs, sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression are linked to the soul of our being. They are part of how God has created each individual person. From that soul comes a person's ability to love other people. Not only physically and sexually, but also completely whole-heartedly. An individual who is LGBT cannot love another person physical, sexual or platonic as a straight person or as a person who is not transgender. The very soul from which a person loves another person in all facets of her or his being is a product of that "good seed" sown by God with in every individual regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression.
Reparative/ex-gay therapy, along with it's misinterpretation of Scripture, spiritual malpractice and doctrinal abuse are weeds within the Christian community that are only good for one thing.
Burning!
Why? Because they are harmful to individuals as well as to whole communities of good people. Good people who are who we are, love as we love and only desire to do so without some reparative/ex-gay guru attempting something that is unnatural and lethal to what God has so freely and lovingly created.
What should have been included in today's Psalm is 139: 14: "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, that I know very well."
Fearfully (the word should be lovingly) and wonderfully made are all God's people. Individually and communally. We are all created by the beauty and wonder of God's holy love. We are all created with God's love as our origin and destiny. God knows each of us, before we know ourselves. God the Holy Spirit who took part in our creation has given to each person something unique, powerful, wonderful and designed for holiness of heart, mind and life. One of those parts of each human person that is unique, powerful, wonderful and designed for holiness of heart, mind and life is our bodies ability to love and be loved by another person and to respond to giving and receiving that love, as if we were never closer to God in any other given moment.
An individuals sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression that is part of every human beings soul, is Sacred Space. It is a place that no individual, counselor, pope, bishop, priest, deacon, minister, lay person, individual other than God and one's soul mate has any business violating or attempting to alter for their own purpose or pleasure.
Such is the danger of reparative/ex-gay therapy. Such an invasion and molestation of one's soul cannot be understood as something holy or Christ commissioned. Reparative/ex-gay therapy is a "weed" that seeks to destroy the goodness of the seed that God has planted in each LGBT person, family and/or couple. It is the same good seed that exists in heterosexual individuals and/or individuals who are born of one gender and stay that way their entire life. How a woman or man loves another person, same-sex or opposite-sex is part of that Sacred Space where God dwells and calls each individual by her/his name and is fearfully and wonderfully made.
Progressive Christians and all individuals of good will, need to consider very carefully the news we have heard this week. There is the temptation to make religion as the culprit. As badly as religion is manipulated and abused for the work of reparative/ex-gay therapy, it is just that. A manipulated and abused use of religion to invite fear, prejudice and violence of a very severe nature. It is a capitalistic industry that needs to be starved to death and allowed to die. It does not serve a good purpose. It is destructive. Worst of all, it distorts and disdains the Name and reputation of the God of unconditional and all-inclusive love.
I hope everyone will commit themselves to telling the truth about reparative/ex-gay groups. I also hope that many others will take the information we heard this week seriously enough to give the collective response that this kind of abusive and intrusive "therapy" must be protested and discontinued.
May God the Holy Spirit with her grace of conversion and healing lead us all to become effective missionaries in this important endeavor.
Prayers
Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Proper 11, Book of Common Prayer, page 231).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, page 815).
O God 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 819).
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