Being in community with people
I’d like to tell gay, lesbian or trans Christian people…
That we don’t — and won’t — always get it right. We need to make the same kind of shift from “ministering to” people in favour of “being in community with” people — just where they are.
As a group we need to sublimate our tendencies to categorize and order people to better understand where they fit in our worlds. Rather, we need to practice doing as Jesus did—meeting people where they are and accepting. For in that categorizing and ordering, the spectre of judging may creep in. Then again, naming one’s reality may be needed in order to better understand the day-to-day realities of eachother’s worlds. I guess the freedom to name one’s reality—or not—is the important part here.
Seeing the face of Jesus in those we meet seems to be part of the ultimate challenge of being a Christian. And so we are challenged to see bi, gay or trans Christ, and allow for the possibilities of truths in all those iterations of Christ.
I’d also like to tell gay, lesbian or trans Christian people that if I have close friends who identify as any of the above, that doesn’t mean I cannot be a straight, cis-gendered Christian. It is odious to me that making such choices that forging friendships, can also lead to behind-the-scenes speculations about my own sexual orientation. Granted, this may be comparable to a first world problem—a mere annoyance factor compared to the daunting decisions and potential hurts and difficulties faced by my GLBTQ siblings. But still—accept me as a member of the beloved community for which I yearn.
I would also like to say, “I’m sorry.” For all the times we—Christians—get it all wrong. For what those sometimes thoughtless attitudes and statements cost us all. And I look forward to the day we will not need to identify congregations as Affirming—because we all are.
~ Anonymous
(Shared with permission of Anonymous)
