I'm not giving up my seat to a bully

Last week I found myself on an emotional roller coaster, as I followed the news. The week started on a high. On Monday, in the State of Washington, Governor Chris Gregoire signed into law a marriage equality bill, making Washington the 7^th State in the nation to affirm gay marriage. Other States to legalize gay marriage are New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia (Washington DC). And over 3000 miles away on the very same day, the New Jersey legislature passed a similar bill.

Then came the low. New Jersey would have become the 8^th State in the nation to legalize gay marriage. Unfortunately, on Friday of last week, Gov. Chris Christie placed personal biases and political aspirations before the people of New Jersey. He vetoed the bill. Well, why don’t we simply tell all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered folks to ‘sit at the back of the bus’? Well, like Rosa Parks, I’m not willing to give up my seat at the front of the bus.

 In response to the veto in New Jersey I found myself feeling angry, frightened, beaten, disheartened, and disenfranchised. Now, I could wallow in self-pity or I could evaluate the situation and figure out what to do. As an aspiring member of the clergy, I could not permit the former. So, I chose the latter. In assessing the situation, I realized that the political games like that played in New Jersey last week, with the vetoing of the gay marriage bill, are nothing more than bullying. Then I thought, if we won’t tolerate bullying on our children’s playgrounds, we most certainly should not tolerate bullying by politicians. But, how can I address that?

 I searched for biblical guidance, thinking of those prophets who stood up for justice and righteousness – Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord”! (Lk 3:4b NRSV) Christ too stood up to bullies – “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone” (Jn 8:7b NRSV). But who am I? What power do I possess to change things? The good news is I am not alone. I am never alone, for God is with me always.

And there are Christians and others who are willing to take on those bullies and promote justice. The United Church of Christ (UCC)[1] is one denomination, among others, willing to stand up to bullies, on behalf of LGBT persons and others who are oppressed. The UCC advocates for LGBT rights. “In order for universal human rights standards to be truly universal, every person, whatever their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, is entitled to the full enjoyment of all human rights. …In faithfulness to the biblical and historic mandate holds that, as a child of God, every person is endowed by God with worth and dignity that human judgment cannot set aside; and deplores the use of scripture to generate hatred and the violation of human rights …”[2].  In secular society, organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)[3] and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)[4] support and advocate for LGBT rights. These are just a few organizations who will stand with me and whose collective voices can effectively change things.

I realize that I must continue to hope. I must continue to pray. I must fully trust in the merciful, loving and just God who created me and calls me to ministry. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Ps. 121:2) I realize that I must continue to live my life in such a way that it is pleasing in God’s eyes, to change one heart at a time. I must carefully and selectively support those organizations that will advocate for justice and basic human rights for all persons. Then, empowered by the Spirit, the groundswell for justice and righteousness will overcome the discrimination, oppression and hatred. Trusting in God, I like Rosa Parks will not give up my seat at the front of the bus. And I fully believe that one day I, as others like me, will enjoy the freedom of marrying the one I love. With the help of God, one day America will live its pledge – “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all”. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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[1] www.ucc.org

[2] http://www.ucc.org/synod/resolutions/gs28/Resolution-on-Sexual-Orientation-Rights.pdf

[3] www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights

[4] www.hrc.org

Valentine's Day - Fairness in Love?

We’ve all heard the saying: All is fair in love and war. Is it? Can all of us express deep and abiding love freely and without concern of reprisal or retribution? Sadly, not all are created equal under the law. But there are lawmakers in our great country who believe all should be fair and equal in love - lawmakers like Rep. Walsh in Washington State in this video from last week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbmbdWK6338

True, Rep. Walsh is a mom who loves her daughter unconditionally. Let’s put that aside for the moment.  Is there really any credence to this whole gay-marriage debate?

You betcha! This goes far beyond the heart-wrenching denial of two people being able to share the deep, abiding love and bond that Rep. Walsh speaks of. This is about inalienable human rights … basic human rights that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke about to the UN general assembly in Geneva 2 months ago. I freely admit that I have not seen eye to eye with Sec. Clinton on numerous matters. But in this matter she was right on target! This is walking in the footsteps of Christ and looking out for the “least of these”(Mt. 25:40).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MudnsExyV78

Why should Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) persons be treated as second class citizens anywhere in the world? And shouldn’t the U.S. be leading the charge for equality? Are LGBT persons really so different from everyone else? No. God created humanity with incredible diversity of race, color, height, weight, and yes - sexual orientation. Why should anyone be denied the right to carry a spouse on a healthcare policy? LGBT persons can’t in many states. Why should spouses be denied the opportunity to file jointly on their tax returns? LGBT persons can’t. Why should a surviving spouse have to pay federal taxes on death benefits or worse yet lose a jointly owned home due to no legal rights of survivorship? That’s the case for LGBT persons. Why are LGBT persons treated like second-class citizens, when they produce fabulous, upright, God-fearing, faithful, law-abiding children like Zach? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMLZO-sObzQ

There are those who claim ‘biblical authority’ in condemning LGBT persons … for their ‘sinful’ lifestyle. How are honesty, integrity, a sound work ethic, love of God and country, going to church, holding a job, owning a home, paying taxes and raising a family sinful? If those are sins, then we would have to condemn most Americans. These core values are precisely why JC Penny hired Ellen Degeneres as their spokesperson. Pulling passages of scripture out of context to condemn or oppress any group of people is the true sin! What about the rest of the biblical “edicts” and holiness codes found in the bible? How many ‘normal’ people today wear garments of different kinds of cloth? Should we stone them? How dare anyone, especially any Christian, demoralize any person with some quote from scripture? Would Jesus do that? Not on your life. We should read biblical passages in context and apply them to our own lives. The bible should not be used as a harmful weapon under any circumstances. “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” (Mt 7:5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD52OlkKfNs

What is the old song? “They will know we are Christians by our love”. Will they? Would Jesus really condone the kind of inhumane, oppressive, sometimes violent behavior against LGBT persons that exists today? No, he wouldn’t. How is such inequality showing love of God and love of neighbor? Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus condemn same-sex relationships. It’s simply not there. And its absence speaks volumes.

Before  blanketly condemning “homosexuality”, look around. Is there someone you know, respect and care about deeply that may not be ‘out of the closet yet’? Perhaps it’s one of their kids or grandkids that you helped raise. Are they really ‘criminals’? How is it a crime for committing oneself to a loving, lifelong relationship? Would you go to prison for being in love with your spouse? I would. I would give my life for the one I love. For LGBT persons prison, abuses and death are possibilities; for ‘straight’ folks they’re not. How is that fair or just? 

Today, on Valentine’s Day, many will be able to freely share expressions of deep and abiding love for one another – legally sanctioned with all of the rights and privileges thereto. A large segment Americans cannot, because it is illegal. All is fair in love and war? – No, it’s not … at least not yet. “Faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Co 13:13) Love is a gift from God that cannot and should not be denied to anyone. May God’s love prevail.

Death - Final Answer?

Death – we can’t avoid it. It’s part of the natural circle of life. It is something we will all face. The older we get, many of us begin to fixate on its inevitability and its finality. 

 But is that where we should focus?

Is death the final, cold punctuation of our lives? Not according to the Gospel of John – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NRSV)  In John 14, Christ promises us a place in that heavenly “house”. And so that we have no worries about our standing with God, Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. All of us, one in Christ, have no worries about what will come to pass after our mortal lives are over. But while the prospect of eternity with our Creator gives us hope, should we really be focusing on that finish line? Shouldn’t we rather focus on the race leading up to the finish line?

 

Linda Ellis wrote a magnificent poem called The Dash (http://lindaellis.net/the-dash/) – you know, that little dash between our date of birth and our date of death. In its conclusion she asks if we will be proud of how we spent our "dash", when our eulogy is read. How do we want to be remembered? What does Jesus call each of us to do? – “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you;” (Matthew 7: 12a NRSV); and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 19:19b). We need to live our lives in a way that reflects these ideals. And we need to live so TODAY, for what if tomorrow never comes?

Each day, we have a choice to have a good day or a bad day … to make a positive impact or a negative one – Yes, it’s our individual choice regardless of circumstances. Sure, each of us has many burdens to bear. But we need to take the focus off of ourselves and begin to see those around us who are hurting even more than us, whether in body, mind or spirit. Just look around you. How can you leave a positive heart-print in someone's life today? What if a simple smile or a hello is the one thing that makes a hopeless, suicidal person desire to live again? … a handshake, a hug, a phone call, an email, a text … what is the one thing that you can do today to make Christ’s love tangible in our world? If everyone looked for and acted on those little opportunities of grace, think of the ripple-effect when they’re paid forward! LIVE today. Each day is a gift! Don’t waste it. Each morning when you wake, thank God for the gift of a new day and for the opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Morning has broken - what are you going to do with it?

http://youtu.be/FP7Ry9MfkQU 

Where is God in Disasters?

Storm damage - clean up in progress

Destruction everywhere - seemingly endless

Then the chainsaws began to buzz ...

Shovels and rakes and implements of destruction began to reshape and reclaim the landscape ...

Faith in action ... God at work through many hands ....

Power tools are a girl's best friend

THIS is America ... no mudslinging ... no politics ... just love and grace in a community of believers reaching out to those in need

Why do so many folks tend to focus on the gloom and gore of disasters? What about the good? Rather than ask "How could God permit this tragedy?", why not look for God's love and grace amid the tragedy?

These images are from local disasters of an EF1 tornado in the Charlotte/Potterville (MI) area in 2008 and a wind and hail storm in the Charlotte area in 2009. In 2011, we witnessed even more horrific natural disasters around the globe .... from the earth quake and tsunami in Japan to the EF5 tornado in Joplin, MO. Stemming from these tragic events, headlines have read: "Why does God allow natural disasters?" (BBC News Magazine; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8467755.stm).  Still others ask: "Is God punishing us with natural disasters?" Is God? Could God? Has God simply given up on us and abandoned us? I must answer with a resounding "NO!"

Perhaps a more appropriate question is where can we find God in all of the horrific tragedies of life? I do not for one minute believe that God creates such events. A God of love and grace cannot be the cause. And contrary to Marcion's belief, God does not have an evil twin. I believe with all my heart that God responds to the chaos and horror of our world with benevolence, love and grace. Just as God was manifest to the world and humanity in the man, Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Spirit becomes manifest in our world today through humanity. Each of us has the capacity to be powerful instruments of God’s love and grace. We can make God’s love tangible even in the worst of circumstances. Is that not what Christ calls us to do? Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, NRSV)

Wasn’t it Petula Clark who sang many years ago “What the world needs now is love sweet love”? That is SO true! What the world needs now more than ever before is God’s love sweet love. It is up to us as beloved children of God and disciples of Christ to make that love known throughout the world. Even if we only make it known, by letting Christ’s light shine through us in our little corners of the world, we can make the world a better place little by little. Mother Theresa said: “I can do no great things, only many things with great love.” Let it be so! Let each of us be the hands and feet of God … reaching out in love to give hope those who are hurting in body, mind or spirit.

Do we need to wait for significant natural disasters to act? I certainly hope not! Nor does everyone have to wield an 18-inch Husquvarna chainsaw, as I love to do. Yes, our congregation mobilized, in a matter of days, over 80 physically able people to help with the local disasters pictured above. Amid disasters like hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Japan and the tornado in Joplin, thousands were mobilized to lend a helping hand. We need not be that physically able. Most certainly, we should not wait for such events or grand-scale mobilization to touch others with the love of Christ. We are given opportunities each and every day to make a positive difference in the lives of others that may be just as powerful, potentially more powerful, than the “big events”.

Tragedies happen in many shapes and sizes … lost pets, loved ones lost to cancer or freak auto accidents, job loss, homes lost to foreclosure, bankruptcy, divorce, amputation from injury in war … and the list goes on. Those facing the tragedy, no matter how big or small in the great scheme of things, need to know the love of God. God is present … we need to make that presence tangible. Seek to see the world as God sees it … with love, benevolence and grace. Then seize the moments placed before you, be filled with the Spirit, and let Christ’s light and love shine forth. Jesus said: “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me …Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40).

 Go ... touch someone's heart today.