Memes get the most attention on social media. But some thoughts just can’t be put into a meme. They are too painful. Too deep to whittle down to a few characters. Too important to try to be clever with a few words.
I am grieving today.
Before I write any more… to you who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, queer, questioning, asexual or allies: You are loved by God just as you are.
Full stop.
I grieve for the church. I grieve for the church which has once again failed you. I grieve for the church which has chosen not to follow the example of Jesus. I grieve for the church which has once again hurt children of God.
I grieve that I did not expect it. I grieve that I did not educate myself enough before this vote. I grieve that I did not reach out to my United Methodist colleagues and friends. I grieve that I remained in my own bubble.
Yesterday our siblings in Christ, the United Methodist Church (UMC), at a Special General Conference narrowly voted for a policy which prohibits same sex marriage, prohibits clergy in same sex relationships, and strengthens sanctions against individuals and congregations which go against these policies. *
This vote wounds more than United Methodists. It wounds the church as a whole. It wounds our collective witness to a God of love.
Far more important than the wounds to the church as a whole though, are the wounds to individuals. People who have been on the margins; people who have been told that somehow they are less than others in God’s eyes; people who had to listen to testimonies on a debate floor declaring that they are not what God intended; people who have sometimes dared to step forth inside a church and once again see the door slammed shut.
So today I grieve. I am listening to those who have been hurt.
I believe in a God of resurrection. I believe in a God of new creation. But today it is still Good Friday.
In Christ,
Pastor Jen
*The United Methodist Church is a global church and about 1/3 of its members are from African and Asian countries many of which have laws banning homosexual activity. Speakers at the conference from these countries tended to be the most vocal proponents of the approved policy. There are constitutional issues to the approved policy as well, so it is unlikely to be implemented exactly as voted.
A Sacred Space 