The end of the beginning...

What a victory for the equality of all people especially lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (lgbtq) people. Judge Walker has ruled that it violates the US Constitution to discriminate against lgbtq people by denying them access to marriage. This ruling says there is not “gay marriage” or “straight marriage” only marriage which is open to all people and can not be denied to anyone. It says that in no way are lgbtq couples inferior to heterosexual couples. This is such a momentous step and it could be the beginning of dominoes toppling. I can see it coming. First the overturning of this discriminatory law is upheld and then equality begins to pick up momentum. Before long another discriminatory marriage law is struck down and then another and then another just like dominoes each one leading to another falling until finally all the laws discriminating against lgbtq people are gone. What a time to be alive, to see equality become a reality. But we are not there yet.

I believe it was Winston Churchill who first used the phrase “the end of the beginning”. This is where I believe we are, moving from the beginning of our struggle to the middle. We are not at the end and those who oppose equality are only going to push back harder. We can not get complacent and assume victory will come because if we do then the progress we are making will be lost. Celebrate our victory today and then tomorrow get up and continue the struggle. There is still so much work to do before we will have full equality for all people.

Then of course we can not forget that even as it looks like there will be equality under the law we still do not have equality in the United Methodist Church. Membership. The Book of Discipline still contains the discriminatory and untrue language that states “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings”. In 2012 we will meet again for General Conference this time in Tampa and I am sure we will once again bring the issue of equality to the table. This means we have a little less than two years to help shape the way the General Conference will vote on the issues of equality and inclusion. This is a huge task but one that is not beyond our reach if we spend the next two years telling our stories and speaking out for the cause of inclusion. Talk to the people in your congregation, talk to your neighbors, talk to your co-workers, talk to everyone, and tell them about God's inclusive love and why it is so important for us as the church to be open and welcoming to all people. The world is changing and it is an exciting time to be alive. Let us pray that as the world moves forward so the church will also.

UMC Don't Ask Don't Tell

With all the talk recently about the possible repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, it got me to thinking about the United Methodist Churches stances. Currently the UMC Book of Discipline states that “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church” (UMC Book of Discipline 304.3). This is an interesting stance for a church that claims “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors” because it does not seem very open.

What this policy does is it takes those who are seeking ordination or are currently ordained and who also identify as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual (we currently have no policies concerning being transgender though sadly this means we have no protections either) and forces them into a church don't ask don't tell policy. Basically by coming out and living with integrity those called by God are denied their calling. How can we do this? How can we turn away those called by God? If God approves of an individual enough to call them into God's service how can we deny them? What makes this stance even more interesting is that we know there are LGB pastors in the UMC who are forced to hide. We have already recognized their gifts and calling to the ministry and taken them all the way through our very long and complicated process for ordination. They are succeeding in ministry but only at the cost of their integrity.

You would think that we would want our pastors to live with integrity as this is a Christian value, but I guess in the UMC we do not. We would rather our pastors lie about who they are. We would rather them lie about who they love. We would rather them deny their own families. This forces our pastor to choose between a Holy calling and living lives with integrity. Who are we to force individuals to make this choice? Sadly many are making this choice and too many are choosing to live with integrity and leave our denomination. We are losing many of our best and brightest. This not only does a disservice to those individuals affected by our policies;\ we are hurting ourselves as the church by turning away qualified and talented individuals.

There is hope though. The Book of Discipline states in our social principles that “we affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God” (UMC BOD 161H). We would do well to remember that we believe all people including LGBTQ persons are created in the image of God. Maybe then we would begin to realize how destructive our currently policies truly are and we would begin to repent of our past and move towards a future that is truly inclusive of all of God's beloved creation.

Call to truth

I have just finished my first year of seminary. One-third of my theological education is now behind me and what a journey it has been so far. The passion I had for social justice has been magnified ten-fold. If I have taken anything from this semester it is that we as Christians must live out social justice and we must reach out to the oppressed and needy in all the ways we can. This is our calling “we love because he first loved us. Those who say 'I love God' and hate their brothers and sisters are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, can not love God whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:19-20). This is our truth from Jesus Christ “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” (Luke 10:27). The message of the Gospel is love and redemption two things I very much believe in. So in that spirit I have written this call to truth.

We are called to be a witness to that which we believe to be truth. Truth may cost us but that is what is demanded for the practitioners of faith. It is this push that may result in a violent push back but in that push back the victory is already won. Jesus came and was crucified in an act of violent push back. At first glance this may seem to make Jesus weak. As the story goes the powerful Roman Empire has destroyed the Savior who meant to bring redemption and if that was the end of the story it would be it would be defeat. But that is not because Jesus rose again on the third day. Jesus gave us the model for witness to truth and now we are called to witness. The time of sitting just back in our pews on Sunday mornings is over. We must continue to push back as the vocal minority until we find ourselves in the majority. Changing hearts and minds will not happen overnight but it will happen if we continue to speak up and speak out. If we truly begin to Believe Out Loud.

Today there is a powerful change underway, with a great amount of push back against inclusion of the LGBTQ community. But of people of faith are coming together and say enough is enough, our LGBTQ brothers and sisters have been treated as second class citizens for far too long. We all must join the chorus of voices crying this message. So I implore you, Speak Out. Come Out. Tell your stories. Because I tell you this truth, if we stand in solidarity we can and will create change and bring the world just a little closer to looking like the Kingdom of God it was intended to be.