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A 21-year old college student is brutally beaten by two men, and left hanging on a Wyoming fencepost. His eventual death is labeled a hate crime, since the young man was gay. His attackers say they only meant to rob him, as if somehow, that excuse makes it okay to beat a gay man to death. Churches and pastors around the country are facing disfellowship or disciplinary action for allowing gays and lesbians to worship with them while "condoning" their behavior or for performing same sex holy unions. In Georgia, the state Baptist Convention recently voted on a proposal that churches should not knowingly take any action to affirm, approve or endorse homosexual behavior. Churches may welcome homosexuals, but condemn the way they live their lives. Religious right organizations spend millions of dollars on ad campaigns designed to convince not just gays and lesbians, but the public at large, that if they have enough faith, and the right therapy, gays and lesbians can change their orientation. Those who say they can't change are misguided, and those who say they won't change are just willful and avoiding the will of God in their lives. The message that emerges is clear. There is no place in the kingdom of God for gays and lesbians. Gay Christian is an oxymoron. Those who say they are gay and Christian are avoiding the clear teaching of the church, the authority of the scripture, and the will of God for their lives personally. A choice appears to face the gay believer: surrender either their spirituality, or their orientation. It's a false dichotomy. The gay believer need not sacrifice either their sexuality or their spirituality, despite what the church, or its members, may say to the contrary. Even in the face of political and social persecution, excommunication from the church, physical and mental abuse, up to and including death, the gay Christian must persevere. The most powerful word ever used by Jesus was "whosoever" and that means gay believers have a place in the ultimate plan of God. Despite all the despair and seeming hopelessness faced by gay Christians, we still have a right to hope, that ultimately, we too, will be part of the kingdom of God.
"And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in thee." --Psalms 39:7
Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:4-6 that, "there is one body and one
Spirit." Likewise there is "one hope that belongs to your call, one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above
all and through all and in all." What is that one hope that we are all
called to by God, whether gay or straight? Paul answers that question in
Romans 5:2. Our hope is "sharing the glory of God."
To ultimately share in the glory of God, gays and lesbians must work in
the present for acceptance by the church and society at large. That is
our hope in this world, that we may worship in spirit and it truth from
the pew, and live in truth and equality within the world at large.
The church is an enormous source of despair for gays and lesbians. Many
have given up hope that the church will ever open its doors and welcome
them as full members, without asking them to give up their sexuality.
Despite the bitter disappointments gay and lesbian believers have faced
at the hands of the church, we must cling to that ultimate hope of
reconciliation within the body of Christ. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
likens this continued hope to someone who knocks "on the door of the
church at midnight." The church has been a source of much sorrow for
gays and lesbians, but we continue to knock because we "know the bread
of life is there."
The gay believer understands what Karl Barth meant when he wrote in Fiat
Iustitia that the church's duty is "to bid people hope, and thus to
mediate to them the promise that they need." Barth further insists the
church must "confess solidarity at every point with these people" and
"show ourselves to be their companions and friends without worrying
about their garb or mask, and we make their cause our own."
Instead, the church too often looks at the garb or the mask, and insists
in a change of clothing or a removal of the mask before the doors will
open. Barth counsels churches to remain open to all because "those who
hunger and thirst after righteousness, that those who, however
mistakenly or strangely or impotently, ask after and seek the right and
dignity of humanity, have God on their side and will be satisfied, we
cannot separate this from them not matter what name they bear or what
kind of people they are."
In the case of gay Christians, the church turns a deaf ear to Barth's
words. They are not interested in welcoming the gay believer, nor in
giving them the right and dignity of humanity. They feel the gay
believer is mistaken, strange and not truly seeking righteousness.
Instead, they seek to separate the humanity from the gay believer,
telling them they must abandon a large part of their identity to share
in the ultimate hope of glory with God.
This is also the case in society at large. Often, gay people are
separated from their humanity permanently, as in the case of Matthew
Shepard and other gays and lesbians killed solely because of their
sexual orientation. They are often separated from their humanity when
they are told they are "broken" and need to be "fixed" or "healed" of
their homosexuality. They are often separated from their humanity when
they are told their sexual orientation bars them from certain jobs, or
from serving in the military, or from adopting or parenting children.
Bigotry and hatred of homosexuals remains socially acceptable despite
long strides by gay and lesbian activists. However, eschatology can give
hope to gays and lesbians, even those jaded by the setbacks that come
with progress. James Evans reminds us that "eschatology prevents
momentary failures from becoming permanent defeats." Even when we grow
weary of fighting for our right to merely live and breath we find
strength in God to continue on, knowing ultimately our goal will be
achieved. We are promised in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 that, "We are
afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down; but not destroyed."
It is eschatology, Evans says, that "provides a vision of hope that
saves the oppressed from being overwhelmed by historical
disillusionment."
It is not here on earth where our ultimate hope of reconciliation to God
will be borne out. Here our goals and achievements can only be
penultimate. That must not prevent us from trying to bring about a true
sense of justice and peace for gay and lesbian people in the here and
now. However, we must view our defeats in the light of Christ and his
plan of ultimate justice and peace. Gays and lesbians may never see true
equality and justice here on earth. But, we are promised equality in the
eyes of God, for as Paul assures us in Galatians 3:28, there is "neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male
nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." It is this hope of
ultimate equality in Christ that gives us the courage to act as if that
promise has already been fulfilled in the present moment.
"...behold the kingdom of God is within you." -- Luke 17:21
Dr. King reminds us that "God has two outstretched arms. One is strong
enough to surround us with justice, and one is gentle enough to embrace
us with grace." We encounter those outstretched arms of God in many
places, including the scripture, within the tradition of the church, our
own reasoning and most importantly in our own experiences.
The gospel writers show us God's two outstretched arms include all
believers. There are two such examples in the book of Acts. Acts 8:26-40
recounts the story of Philip who met a eunich along the road to Gaza. In
those days, eunichs were not allowed to be members of the church and
were relegated to the outside of the temple with the women while worship
took place. Philip did not see the eunich as an outcast, but rather as
someone who was on a spiritual quest. He joined the eunich on his
journey and told him the good news of Jesus. When the pair reached some
water the enuich asked "What is to prevent me from being baptized?"
Philip saw nothing to prevent this societial outcast from being baptized
into the faith.
Gay and lesbian Christians have a brother in this eunich. We, too, seek
a spiritual home, the embrace of God's two outstretched arms. Like the
eunich, Philip gives us the good news: nothing prevents us from being
baptized as followers of Jesus.
The book of Acts also tells the story of a dream that appeared to Peter.
In Acts 10:9-16, God shows Peter the four corners of the earth and all
"kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air." He instructs Peter
to kill and eat whatever he pleases. Peter protests, telling God "I have
never eaten anything that is common or unclean." God tells Peter very
clearly, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common."
Based on this vision, Peter began to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ
to the Gentiles, a group of social outcasts. The vision, Peter says,
made him realize "that I should not call anyone common or unclean."
[Acts 10:28] Further, Peter states "I perceive that God shows no
partiality, but in every nation any one who fears hime and does what is
right is acceptable to him." [Acts 10:34-35]
This is good news for gay believers. God shows no partiality. Those who
oppose us as members of the kingdom of God have no more of a lock on
God's affection that we do. To God we are all the same, we are all God's
children, and none of us are common or unclean.
Peter and Philip's actions set precedent in the tradition of the church.
By these simple acts of acceptance and reconciliation they set the
Christian church up as a place where everyone, saint and sinner alike,
can come and worship in "spirit and in truth." Often the church becomes
myopic, wanting to pick and choose who will receive the bread of life.
We must remember it is Christ who saves us and not the church. The
church has been slow to respond to outcasts of its day. But, with
persistence by outcast believers, our "knock at the door at midnight" is
opening doors, and the church is once again discovering its role as
giver of the bread of life to anyone who asks.
The opening of those doors affirms that our hope of ultimate acceptance
in God's kingdom is real. It is reasonable to believe that once those
first steps are taken to open the church to the gay and lesbian
Christian, there is no going back. Our hope is in motion. As Paul
Tillich wrote in his sermon "The Right to Hope," a genuine hope is one
that "has already some presence. In some way, the hoped for is at the
same time here and not here." As gay and lesbian Christians, we see this
in our present moment. Acceptance by some churches is already a reality.
It is already present. However, the struggle for general acceptance
within the church is not a reality. We must continue our work for
justice in this area realizing our hope for acceptance in the church in
the present moment is penultimate. Again, let us remember Christ is our
salvation, not the church. Ultimately, our hope of reconciliation and
final acceptance lies in this simple realization.
While scripture, tradition and reason are all sources of hope for us,
perhaps the most important source of our hope is in our own experiences.
While the world is telling gay and lesbian Christians that they are an
oxymoron, we are seeing the work of God in our lives everyday. Through
our daily walk with God, and through the blessings we see in our lives
from God, we know that we, too, are God's children.
Specific stories of God at work in the lives of gays and lesbians are
probably the best weapon we have to fight the oppression and rejection
of the mainstream church. By talking about how God has affected our
lives, gay and lesbian believers refute the idea that we are a forsaken
people, a group of perverts with reprobate minds that God will
ultimately spit out. Our stories become a source of corporate hope. By
living faithfully we show the world at large that God works in, and
through, even the gay and lesbian believer.
Our stories are also a source of personal hope. It is through our
stories that we ourselves come to realize that the kingdom of God is
within us. By acknowledging the work of God through our own lives, we
come to know that we are not a broken or degenerate people. Instead, we
learn we are part of God's kingdom. Our persecution by society forces us
to learn, on a deeply spiritual level, what it means to walk with God.
That search for answers results in powerful stories of a journey with
God. When we share those stories we renew our own hope, as well as the
hope of others who may have given up their relationship with God in the
face of rejection by the church, friends, family and society at large.
"Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to
account for the hope that is within you " --1 Peter 3:15
The hope of gay and lesbian Christians is under attack almost every day.
Consider what many mainstream Christians say about homosexuality and the
concept of gay and lesbian Christians:
It is statements, like these, that dash the hopes of gay and lesbian
Christians. We are told repeatedly by the leaders of the church and our
nation that we are hated by God and are somehow less than human. The
only way we can be acceptable to God is by turning from our "sin" and
changing our sexual orientation. Unless we "repent" we have no hope of
being part of God's final plan of salvation.
But Christians are called to keep their hope alive at all costs. Dr.
King called this developing a "tough mind."
Gays and lesbians have been permitted the "luxury of softmindedness" by
the church. When we face rejection by the church, we often shrug our
shoulders, surrender our spirituality and become bitter. We are not
toughminded enough to defend our hope and "break loose from the shackles
of prejudice, half-truths and downright ignorance" we face from the
likes of Bauer, Robertson, Falwell and Senator Lott. Instead, we harden
our hearts to these people, and to the ultimate salvation offered by
God.
Dr. King warns us that with the tough mind there must also be a tender
heart. The marks of a tender heart include being able to truly love, to
have genuine compassion, even for people who hate us, and to always see
people as people and not a means to an end. However, that tough mind
cannot lead us to heartlessness. We cannot use our tough mind to incite
violence against those who oppose us.
In 1 Peter 3:15 we are told to "always be prepared to make a defense to
any one who calls you to account for the hope that is within you, yet do
it with gentleness and reverence." Defending our hope is imperative as
gay and lesbian believers. We are called to account for our hope
constantly. However, we must be careful to do it with gentleness and
reverence.
What is our best defense? How do gay and lesbian Christians defend the
hope within? First, we must agree with those on the religious right on
one point: we are sinners. Reinhold Niebuhr reminds us that "Luther
rightly insisted that the unwillingness of the sinner to be regarded as
a sinner was the final form of sin." So, yes, gay and lesbian Christians
are sinners, but so are those on the religious right. We are all on
equal footing with God.
Jesus gives us a lesson on defending hope in John 21:20-22. Peter asks
Jesus who will betray him, and what will happen to that man. Jesus tells
him, "If it is my will that he remain with me until I come again, what
is that to you? Follow me." This is our answer to those who give gay
Christians dire warnings about how God will deal with our "sin." "What
is that to you?" My sin is between me and God. No one else can condemn
me to hell. No one else can dole out punishment for whatever infractions
have been committed. It is not the church's role to be judge and jury.
It is the church's role to deliver the bread of life to God's children,
all of God's children, to "bid people hope" and "confess solidarity at
every point."
In our desire to know how God will punish the sinner, we forget Jesus'
final instruction: "Follow me." It is in the following of Jesus that we
find our hope. When we follow Jesus we need no other justification.
Jesus speaks harshly to the Pharisees in Luke 16:15, telling them, "you
are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts."
God knows the hearts of gay and lesbian believers. God's spirit lives in
those hearts. There is no need to justify ourselves to anyone. God is
our defense. God's blessings in the lives of gay and lesbian believers
are evidence of God's grace and justification.
Even with this assurance of hope, we experience great fear. We fear for
our lives, our homes our jobs, as well as our spiritual health. They all
come under fire from society and from within the church. Our anxiety is
real, but so is our hope. It is our hope that gives us courage to act,
even in the face of fear and death. Tillich reminds us in Courage to
Be that, "courage does not remove anxiety ... but ... takes the anxiety
of nonbeing into itself. Courage is self-affirmation 'in spite of,'
namely in spite of nonbeing. ... Anxiety turns us toward courage,
because the other alternative is despair."
For too long, gay and lesbian Christians have chosen the alternative of
despair. Instead of having courage that comes from a genuine hope, we
have become cowards, hiding in addictions, self-loathing and reparative
therapies meant to "cure" us. When our hope comes under attack, we fold.
Instead of fighting for our hope, we leave the church. Instead of
fighting for our hope, we leave our families. Instead of fighting for
our hope, we withdraw from society. Instead of fighting for our hope, we
turn from God in pursuit of physical pleasures and other practices that
deepen our despair.
We must have courage. King wrote that courage lets us "go forward in
spite of obstacles and frightening situations ... breeds
self-affirmation" and gives us a zest for living even when our life
situation is zestless. We must have the courage to hope, even in the
face of pain and suffering. We must remain vigilant and actively defend
our hope from attack. In 1 Peter 3: 13-15 we are told: "Now who is there
to harm you if you are zealous for what is right? But even if you do
suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of
them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord."
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one
hope ..." --Ephesians 4:4
A gay Christian's hope is a genuine hope, built on the solid theological
ground of scripture, tradition, reason and more than anything else,
experience. The gay Christian has been forced to struggle with the
angels, to wrestle with God and discover for themselves what it means to
be Christian. The church has fought the gay believer at every turn,
determined to block the gates of heaven. If the gay believer is not
ultimately part of God's fold, then neither shall the gay believer's
detractor enter into heaven either, for we are all part of "one body,
one Spirit" and ultimately "one hope."
It may not be obvious that there is "one body and one Spirit" and
certainly not "one hope." Our differences with those who oppose the very
idea of a gay Christian run deep. Each side believes they are right, and
that their view is blessed by God. However, there is indeed one hope,
one body and one Spirit, no matter how it manifests itself here in the
present moment. The one hope is "sharing in the glory of God." That one
hope comes to us despite our theological differences, despite our
differing views on sin, and despite the acrimony with which we may
attack one another for our "wrong" beliefs. We all seek to share the
glory of God. That is a genuine hope, no matter what our other
differences.
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James Evans
ed. Clifford Green Martin Luther King Jr. Reinhold Niebuhr
ed. Mark Kline Taylor Paul Tillich
Other Writings By Candace Chellew:
Battling For The Heart of Christianity
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