Beloved of Christ:
Today is Good Friday, the day we remember the selfless death
of Jesus on the cross. It is stark and
tragic, yet we know how the story ends.
It ends with resurrection!
The cross makes no sense without the hope of
resurrection. Yet many people in our
LGBTQ community still long for that hope.
They are stuck in a Holy Week sort of life. They get little joy from the jubilation of
Palm Sunday, because they see it as fleeting emotion disconnected from their
own feelings of societal rejection. They
understand too well the oppression of religious authorities and the cynicism of
government leaders who wash their hands of the notion of equality or
justice. These brothers and sisters feel
the derision of the mobs and endure the torture of violence. Their loved ones watch helplessly—or
sometimes join in on it. So called
people of faith have too often betrayed them with a kiss. Too many of our people have been killed
because of who they are; some have actually died at the hand of the state. They live Holy Week.
Many of us have lived there too, yet we have seen glimpses
of hope. Some of us have seen
resurrection in our own lives! As LGBTQ
Christians we are a witness to the savior’s promise of new and eternal
life. We see that life in churches that
open their doors and hearts to our families.
We see that life in the way people grow together in relationship based
on mutual love and respect. We see new
life as people live honestly and dare to explore their authentic identities
fully. We find hope in the teen who
dares to trust that God loves them just the way they are.
We are people of the empty tomb. There is nothing to see here! Our Jesus is alive and calls us to live life
abundantly. Let’s remember to always
lead lives of contagious hope and to continue to work toward building a church
able to model resurrection.
The Passion of Christ lasted a week; the Compassion of
Christ lasts forever.
Have a blessed and holy Easter!
Matt Haines,
President
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