Clergy Call to Justice took place in Washington, DC on May 23rd and 24th where 296 clergy from 48 states gathered to pray, preach and lobby for justice for LGBT Americans in our nation's capital. Longtime advocate and spokeperson for justice, the Rev. Canon Susan Russell spoke at the interfaith celebration at Mt. Vernon UMC on Monday night.
Here's what she had to say...................
The Tide Turns One Wave At A Time
By
The Rev. Canon Susan Russell
Past President Integrity USA
Senior Associate, All Saints Church, Pasadena CA.
What an honor, delight and privilege it is to be part of this Gathering of Gratitude ... of this great cloud of witnesses! And if this is what “Left Behind” looks like then may I just say we’ve been left in very good company indeed! And it’s a good thing because, my brothers and sisters, we have some work ahead of us.
It’s easy to make light of last week’s example of what I’m calling “Eschaton Abuse” and others “the Rapture-that-Ruptured.” Yes, we can roll our eyes at yet-another End of the World prediction gone bust -- but what I want to say tonight is that we cannot dismiss the damage that is done when the airwaves are dominated by voices of judgment claiming to speak for the God of justice. We cannot ignore when the core values of our faith traditions – love, peace, justice and compassion – are hijacked by those who want to turn the clock back … not move the kingdom forward.
But here’s one thing I know: The tide turns one wave at a time. And the tide is turning.
It’s turning in this country of ours as we watch poll after poll now show that for the first time marriage equality is supported by a majority of Americans. It’s turning in our denominations and congregations as we watch bars to ordination and blessing finally fall in some places and begin to be challenged in others. And so we stand tonight in the tension of so much to be grateful for … and SO much work left to do. But we stand knowing that the tide turns … one wave at a time ... and that we’re also standing on the shoulders of those who have led us thus far on the way.
Because behind us is the power of the arc of the moral universe that we have been promised bends toward justice. And justice -- Bishop John Hines famously taught us -- Justice is the corporate face of God’s love. The arc of the universe bends toward that love ... and so doing justice is an integral part of what we do as people of faith created in the image of the God of love and compassion. We do justice because of our faith … in response to our call … as part of our vocation ... as part of our historic response to making God’s love tangible. And some of us have been at this arc bending stuff for a VERY LONG TIME.
And so tonight I want to nominate someone as a poster child for this work we’ve been called to do. She’s spiritual ancestor for many of us and her story is found in the 18th chapter of Luke’s gospel. We know her as the Persistent Widow … the one who went again and again demanding justice and who eventually got it from the unjust judge. Not because she warmed his heart. Not because she changed his mind. But because she wore hims out.
And so we -- like her -- come back again and again. Yes, we want to change hearts. Yes, we pray change minds. And yes ... if it what it takes is making a way where there is no way by wearing away the injustice we're gonna keep on comin' back. Just like she did. And the arc will bend. And justice WILL roll down.
Do you have your list of persistent widows? I have mine: Louie Crew … who in 1974 called Grace Cathedral asking about a ministry to gay people ... and when they laughed at him he started one. The deputies who stood up at our General Convention in1991 and said “you’re not talking about an issue … you’re talking about us.”
George Regas who blessed the first same sex couples at All Saints Pasadena in 1992 ... twenty years ago in January.
And Ed Bacon who led us in marrying 46 couples between June and November in 2008.
Walter Righter. Carter Heyward. Michael Hopkins. Gene Robinson. Mary Glasspool. My list could go on and on. And so could yours.
And like the Persistent Widows who went before us, that’s what we’ll do when we head to Capitol Hill tomorrow. As we do so I want to leave you with some words Bonnie Anderson – the president of our Episcopal Church House of Deputies – offered after her visits to Capitol Hill last week:
It is tempting to believe that a church with our membership cannot influence the course of legislation. Those who disagree with our political choices say so all of the time. But last week a legislative assistant told me that he loves it when faith-based organizations come to Capitol Hill. "It brings us good luck," he said.
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