A Different Kind of Lent Madness

Many people are familiar with the silly saintly game Lent Madness (if you're not, click on the graphic in the right-hand column of this blog).  Developed by two Episcopal priests, it pits those who are listed in the book Holy Women, Holy Men against each other in a battle similar to the NCAA Basketball tournament.  It's a game where there is no rhyme nor reason to how a certain saint gets to move on beyond the mood of the elect electorate.  Most play for fun.  But there are those who take it extremely seriously.  So seriously, that when J.S. Bach lost to the 20th Century social reformer Anna Cooper, dozens of people were declaring the death of all church music.  Hyperbole abounds sometimes.

And then there is another kind of madness with its own hyperbole making headlines this Lent.  Once more, the man occupying the office of Archbishop of Canterbury has made public statements that leave many of us shaking our heads and allowing them to drop forward into our hands as we attempt to fathom how one charged with leading a faith community could be so willing to serve up LGBTQ Christians as the reason for mass sectarian violence in Africa and Asia.  In a radio interview in England, Archbishop Justin Welby answered a question in regards to the gay marriage issue for the Church of England for a member of the CoE clergy.  The portion of the interview can be seen HERE.  The priest was asking why it wasn't alright to let clergy make a local decision in regards to marriage equality in their church in the same way it is left to them to make decisions about someone re-marrying after a divorce.  And this is when ++Welby decided to bring up Africa.

"I've stood by graveside in Africa of a group of people who were attacked because of something that happened far, far away in America.  And they were attacked because of that and a lot of them are being killed.  And I was in the South Sudan a few weeks ago and the church leaders there were saying, 'Please don't change what you're doing because we couldn't accept your help.  And we need your help desperately.' "

So, in other words: Every time a gay person gets married in the west, another dozen or so Christians in Africa are killed in a guilt-by-association scenario.  

Really?

I don't doubt that homophobia, which has received both overt and tacit support from Anglican and other "christian" leaders in Africa, may have motivated some of the violence at times on that continent.  But violence between Muslims and Christians has been happening for centuries (ever heard of something called the Crusades?).  The layers of distrust and hatred between the cousin religions has many causes, and is a tangled web of tension over land rights, concepts of God, as well as the souls of the people.  To reduce the violence against Christians to a tired and sin-filled accusation that it's all the fault of the allies and LGBTQ faithful in the Anglican and Episcopal Churches in North America is absurd and insulting.  And even as the Archbishop is using this pretzel logic for continuing a policy of treating the LGBT faithful in England as the "half-assed baptized," he has failed to acknowledge that there are plenty of LGBTQ Christians in Africa who live in fear of harassment, imprisonment and even death.  He notes that whatever is said in England has consequences elsewhere in the Communion.  So does the lack of speech and the failure to hold other Anglicans accountable for their persecution of the gay population.  Silence on these matters does not help to build the Body of Christ.

Interesting that on the day that this news of the Archbishop's radio remarks was getting splashed all over the internet, the Episcopal Church was paying tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 46th anniversary of his assisination.  What a contrast in understanding what it means to stand in the name of Love.  King, killed when he was in Memphis for an action in support of the underpaid sanitary workers, spoke to the world of the need for all people to join in the words of the spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God, Almighty, we're free at last!"  Freedom, for King, was becoming more than just about race alone: it was the economic freedom, too.  Had King not been killed, had he lived into his old age, the trajectory of his life, I believe, would have led him to call upon the religious leaders such as the Archbishop of Canterbury to embrace mercy and justice toward the LGBTQ people, especially in Africa, instead of kowtowing to cowardice and bigotry.

This is Lent.  The Archbishop's comments are shear madness. One can only hope that he will one day realize that his ill-thought comments and refusal to stand with LGBTQ people have created new victims in Africa and elsewhere.  Epic fail.

   

Celebrating Pride in Faith; The Call to Action

I know what you're thinking: Pride Week? In April?   These are the accomodations the community makes in Tallahassee where there are three college campuses, and June is so hot and humid that to own a sauna is really kind of redundant.

One of the highlights of the week for me has been the interfaith service.  The one in Tallahassee is truly INTERfaith: Jewish, Evangelical Christian, B'hai, Pagan, Quaker, Lutheran, Episcopalian, MCC, United Church of Christ, and Unitarian Universalists all gathered under the roof of Temple Israel as one call to recognizing the LGBT spirituality in all of those (and many more) traditions.

Again, I participated to make sure that the Episcopal Church was present and accounted for in this assembly.  As you may recall from my post "Wanting Memories," I basically went to the mat with my clergy to be allowed to represent our parish in the service.  It was a really ugly fight, from my standpoint, and one which so deeply hurt me that I couldn't bear going through that hell again. So, rather than asking any of the local Episcopal clergy to participate, I offered that I would stand in, along with with Mtr. Phoebe of the Church of the Ascension in Carrabelle, and do a portion of the service.   I shared all of this with my spiritual director who, after many questions, finally took out the two-by-four and asked if she was allowed to "come play."

"Oh, you want to take part in the service?" the directee asked, stupidly.  And after getting whalloped by the two-by-four, offered that I would check with the group, and that I was sure they wouldn't mind.

The service had three sections.  The first was presenting and celebrating our past and standing on the shoulders of giants.  The second was our present time, and seeing where there were still pockets of resistance to the recognition and respect of all people.  And the third was lifting up the giants of our future. 

The "Episcoposse," as I like to call us, were to start the section on the present.  My charge was to lay the foundation of the section as a "call to action" or "what can people of faith do to lift up those being laid low by laws and prejudice."   Many people had enjoyed what Mtr. Phoebe and I presented last year but I didn't want us to do a repeat of the same thing.  I knew we needed something to engage the congregation; it is not the Episcopal liturgical way to let people sit and be passive.  And so, after some thought, I proposed that we steal a page out of Morning Prayer and offer suffrages with a concluding collect.  And, after some prayer and stillness, I took a first crack at what would be our offering which then my spiritual director, Mtr. Galen Mirate, spruced up and nuanced. 

Finally, and again after prayerful meditation and listening to the guidance of the Divine, I wrote out my opening "homily" which preceded the suffrages and collect.  Here's what we presented:

 

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;

These words from the prophet Isaiah were the same ones that Jesus read from the scroll in the presence of many at the Temple.  They are the call to action for all people of faith as we encounter our world of haves versus’ have-nots.  Equal rights for some but not others.  And the real dangers of LGBT people living in countries where governments, with the backing of religious authorities, enact laws that threaten our lives with imprisonment and even death.

Giants, such as David Kato in Kampala, Uganda, who led the group Sexual Minorities of Uganda, have been killed in the cause to bring freedom to the oppressed in his country.  He dared to be outspoken, and to stand up for what was his right… and the rights of all people to be treated with respect and dignity.  His death must not be in vain.

The countless numbers of transgender people who are sometimes brutally killed that we remember each November are a reminder that gender identity and living outside the binary understanding of male and female poses a threat to some.  Their deaths must not be in vain.

Immigration laws that threaten to divide binational LGBT couples are another casualty of our growing hodgepodge of laws on the issue of who can be married in this country.  Inequality under the law must not continue.

We have come a long way, but we have so much further to go.   And it will take all people of faith to put on the mantle of light and the prophet and speak truth to power… both in the houses of our government and our houses of worship.  It is our calling to allow our mouths and our bodies to become the vehicle through which Love can cast out the fear that keeps us down.

May this calling to courageous acts of Love be fulfilled in your hearing.

 

 

Mtr. Phoebe: We pray in peace and call upon the Spirit to whom all hearts are open, all desires known: silence

Mtr. Phoebe: Comfort and succor those who have suffered rejection from their family, friends and faith communities

All: May they forge new bonds of affection here on earth and be nourished by the unconditional love of the Almighty from heaven.

Mtr. Galen: Protect those who suffer violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, both here and abroad

All: Shield and defend them from the forces that seek to do them harm, and turn the hearts of those who would oppress them.

Mtr. Phoebe: Grant courage and strength to those who live in fear of revealing their true selves

All: Give them hope in their struggles and assurance of your great love.

Mtr. Galen: Empower those allies who stand with their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters

All: That they are uplifted and inspired by the Spirit Who drives them to cry out for justice.

Mtr. Phoebe: Preserve all people who have entered into loving and committed relationships

All: And direct the nations of the world to recognize marriage equality for all.

Mtr. Galen: Lead all of us from prejudice to truth, from blindness to clarity, from apathy to compassion

All: And melt our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, as we strive to become instruments of Divine transformation.

A Collect for Action

Almighty God of our many understandings, you have called us to follow your example of love and bind the wounds of those who have suffered rejection in your name; place in our hearts the power to love; place in our mouths the power to enlighten; place in our minds the power to understand. Let our knowledge of your truth give us the wisdom and strength to turn bitter injustice into loving acceptance, and guide the people of the world towards the path of greater inclusivity, where all may live in peace. In the Name of your great love for us, we ask it all. Amen.

The service concluded with the Pagans leading those who wanted to do it in a chant and spiral dance to raise the energy and send it out into the world.  May that carry us forward to keep doing the courageous acts of Love that will change the hearts and minds of many more people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joys and Sorrows

As with any lead-in period to a holiday, it seems that time speeds up, and there's no chance to slow down and do such important things as post on one's blog! :-)

Yesterday was definitely one of those whirlwind days.   Fortunately for me, my schedule was totally clear which meant I could go here, there, and everywhere, without much trouble.  My day started with the morning realization that our new state legislature would be sworn in that morning.  Normally, I would thank God for deliverance from having to be there as a reporter.  But this day was different.  Because, on this day, Florida would finally have two openly-gay state representatives seated in the House chamber.   I got out my some of my best clothes, and trudged up the hill to the state Capitol building, quietly humming an antiphon we sing at Easter:

"On this day, the Lord has acted.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

And I was!  I was smiling.  I was laughing.  And I was enjoying myself in a way that I never have in all the years that I have entered that ugly structure where sausage is made at the expense of real lives.  On the way in, I met the parents of a newly-elected legislator who unseated one of the rising stars of the Tea Party-infused state Republican party. 

"Oh, thank you for having a son, and congratulations!" I said.  They laughed.

There are advantages to having once been a member of the Fourth Estate.  Namely, nobody questioned me when I fell in with the reporter pack to gain access to the House floor.  I found one of our two new gay boys, State Representative Joe Saunders and his partner Donald, and snapped a quick picture of them.  I gave Joe a big, long hug, and promised him that the community was there to help him however he needed it.

Such an amazing accomplishment as having out-and-proud members of the Florida House is a sign that "the times they-are-a-changin'."  

In stark contrast, the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance is the reminder that we have not fully realized equality here in the United States or certainly around the world.   After stopping in briefly at a church function happening at the home of our associate rector, I headed out to the local LGBT community center to listen to speakers and bear witness to the candle lighting ceremony.  With each votive candle, we heard the names, ages, and circumstances surrounding the death of a trans individual, killed in the past year.  There were 38 names in all, and those are just of the ones we know.  Many of the people had been mutilated in some way, almost as if the killers were so appalled by the person's outward appearance that they felt the need to destroy it.  As people placed their candles around the heart, I repeated in silence my own private prayers for each of these souls snuffed out by transphobia violence.   I thought about the resurgence of the "kill the gays" bill in Uganda.  I thought of trans friends I have made in Tallahassee, and the educational Voices of Witness documentary, "Out of the Box" about the transgender people of faith in the Episcopal Church.  And I thought how much further we still need to go if we are going to live into the vows of our baptismal covenant to "strive for justice and peace and respect the dignity of every human being."

So many have died and, are still dying, for the right to live and love in peace.  As we celebrate the accomplishment of LGBT people finding a place at the table of state politics, we must also continue our commitment to raise up all people and refuse to make peace with attempts to put us in an early grave.  We must stay on the battlefield, and we must have the voices of others joining us in this race after God's promise that all will be included in the kingdom and have eternal life.

Collects, and Psalms, and Chicken: Oh, My!

What a week of absurdity this has been!

I haven't had time to do much posting here, and perhaps that was for the better.  It gave me time to continue watching, marking, learning and inwardly digesting the amazing scene this past Wednesday happening at Chick-fil-A restaurants in Tallahassee and elsewhere.

Hundreds and hundreds of people, snaking their way through packed parking lots and waiting in long lines at the Drive Thru window just to make a point.  Ask some of them and they'd say their point was the protection of "free speech" or "freedom of religion."

The point they really made was: we hate gay people.

I know for some that seems like a harsh judgment.  But the president of the Atlanta-based chicken chain was not using code words for his beliefs.  He speaks of marriage equality as "shaking our fist at God" and telling God what defines a marriage.  When he was asked about Chick-fil-A's Winshape Foundation, which has bankrolled several anti-gay groups, and whether he is active in fighting marriage equality, Cathy said, "Guilty as charged."  In other words, he is not trying to hide his bias.  In response, the LGBT community and many of our supporters are not hiding our bias either.  There was a call for boycott, and even a "Kiss-in" at Chick-fil-A restaurants.  To fight back, former Arkansas Governor and one-time GOP Presidential contender Mike Huckabee called for an Appreciation Day on Wednesday.

And they came out in droves. It was a banner day for chicken sandwiches sold between two halves of a hamburger bun.  Some said they were eating there because they were standing up for this Christian businessman and his right to free speech.  It wasn't about hate.  It wasn't about being anti-gay.

Well, until my friend, Terry, showed up to exercise her free speech rights at the Chick-fil-A on Apalachee Parkway.  Crying, "Shame!" at the many cars and people in the restaurant, Terry said a group of portly white men shouted back at her, "That's right, faggot!"

No, this wasn't about hate at all.

 O god, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom
nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon
us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so
pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal...

I have found that keeping this particular collect in mind has been helpful throughout this whole nonsense.  Because these matters are truly temporal and the height of absurdity.  Really: must you eat unhealthy, artery-clogging food to prove you don't like gay people?

I mentioned the psalms in the title of this post because they, too, have been helpful this week.  For whatever reason, the ones assigned during the daily office have hit the perfect note, capturing the feeling that I and others felt as we saw the cars going bumper-to-bumper into the Chick-fil-As.   From Psalm 69:

 Pour out your indignation upon them, *
    and let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.

Let them be wiped out of the book of the living * 
and not be written among the righteous. 

As for me, I am afflicted and in pain; * 
 your help, O God, will lift me up on high.

It has been quite helpful to have these words running around in my head as I have dealt with insensitivity to why gay people might be just a wee-bit offended by the words and deeds of Dan Cathy and his chicken shack chain.  I think about how many other countless struggles have been fought for equality throughout world history, and how many of those folks turned to these same words as a security blanket of "At least God gets it!"

Naturally, I am aware that the people on the "other side" read these same words as the same security blanket against the likes of me.  And I figure where God sits is in the middle, waiting for us to spit out all the insults and anger until we exhaust ourselves into a heap of realizing that we've worked ourselves into a froth over matters that are, at the end of the day, temporal bullshit. 

We don't have to eat their food.  And those who do support bigotry are welcome to go gobble up as many waffle fries as they want.  And in another forty years, this is going to look as stupid and hatefully absurd as the pictures of the crazy, angry white people exercising their free speech rights against desegregation.

I think the young son of my friends, Sharon and Ed, said it best when he announced to his parents that he
"likes Jimmers and Ben better than Chick-fil-A."    I do, too!

The Good Riddance Letter to Rowan Williams

From the Church of Nigeria to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams:  Bffffttttt!!!

Here's the statement from Bishop Nicholas Okoh that was posted on Thinking Anglicans:

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd and Rt. Hon. Dr. Rowan Williams took over the leadership of the Anglican Communion in 2002 when it was a happy family. Unfortunately, he is leaving behind a Communion in tatters: highly polarized, bitterly factionalized, with issues of revisionist interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and human sexuality as stumbling blocks to oneness, evangelism and mission all around the Anglican world.
It might not have been entirely his own making, but certainly “crucified under Pontius Pilate”. The lowest ebb of this degeneration came in 2008, when there were, so to say, two “Lambeth” Conferences one in the UK, and an alternative one, GAFCON in Jerusalem. The trend continued recently when many Global South Primates decided not to attend the last Primates’ meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
Since Dr. Rowan Williams did not resign in 2008, over the split Lambeth Conference, one would have expected him to stay on in office, and work assiduously to ‘mend the net’ or repair the breach, before bowing out of office. The only attempt, the covenant proposal, was doomed to fail from the start, as “two cannot walk together unless they have agreed”.
For us, the announcement does not present any opportunity for excitement. It is not good news here, until whoever comes as the next leader pulls back the Communion from the edge of total destruction. To this end, we commit our Church, the Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion) to serious fasting and prayers that God will do “a new thing”, in the Communion.
Nevertheless, we join others to continue in prayer for Dr. Rowan Williams and his family for a more fruitful endeavour in their post – Canterbury life.
+Nicholas D. Okoh
Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria

COMMENT:  What was all that talk about "bonds of affection" again???  I suggest that the 'new thing' has been happening in the life of the Anglican Communion.  Too bad the Bishop of Nigeria (former and current),  Uganda and all their sympathizers have been too busy sharpening their knives against "The West" to notice!

Out of a Death Comes Resolve

Yesterday, many marked the one year anniversary of the brutal beating death of David Kato Kisuule, the leader of Sexual Minorities Uganda. Sidney Nsubuga Enoch was convicted in November of murdering Kato in his apartment and sentenced to 30 years in prison. The investigation and the trial seemed to be more about perpetuating sterotypes about gays and lesbians than actually punishing someone for swinging a hammer into the head of this gay activist. The prosecutor reportedly made much of Nsubuga's claim that he killed Kato because he said Kato was trying to push him into having sex.

Kato's murder outraged many of us in the LGBT international community. We who pay attention to not only the "gay news" but also the "Anglican news" were all-too-aware of the dangers facing Kato and others in Uganda as the church and state conspired to craft the noxious Anti-homosexual legislation, which threatens execution of LGBT people and severe punishment for anyone who doesn't report someone who is lesbian or gay to the authorities. There were emails, phone calls, and letters sent to the secular and religious leaders of the world to speak out against this atrocity occuring on the African continent. When Kato, an outspoken and visible member of Uganda's LGBTI community was executed, our concerns were sadly realized, and it ratched it up the global concern.

We must remain aware of the precarious position African LGBT people face. They're lives are in real jeopardy. They face imprisonment, beatings, and lesbians in particular are often victims of what some call "corrective" rape.

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton this fall took a huge step up to tell the international community it is time to protect LGBT people from discrimination and the lynch mob mentality that comes with such legislation as was proposed in Uganda. If only now our religious leaders would be equally as bold!

Incredibly Shrinking God Part Two

Last week, I heard something that I really wish I had not heard.

It was an interview on the NPR talk show, "Fresh Air" with an author who has been following and studying a group known as the New Apostolic Reformation.

This movement, which has swept up the likes of Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann among others, has a theology that I believe makes God the Almighty into God the dwarfish gnome.  One of their primary beliefs is that the world fell into the hands of Satan at the time of Adam and Eve.  And now it's time for people to help God gain control of the world again by taking over the "Seven Mountains" for the Glory of God.   These "mountains" are arts, media, business, religion, family, education and government.   They want to bring about a new kind of protestant reformation in which there are no longer denominations, but one mega-protestant religion.   They're on a mission to cast out the hierarchical legion of demons that occupy the "Seven Mountains" and reclaim the souls of whole groups for "Gee-zus". 

Yes, whole group conversion.  None of this namby-pamby stuff of the old school evangelicals with individual conversion.  They need to get a critical mass of Jews in Israel to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God in order to bring about the End Times.   And they need to eliminate the "demons":  abortion rights, gay rights, and the end of any social safety nets while allowing for a laissez-faire market mentality.

This theological outlook, called Dominionism, makes God into the biggest loser.   God, in this realm, is such a bumbling idiot that the Almighty has lost the world, and now needs Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann to save it for God with their superfriends Lou Engle and Mike Bickle??

Yes, I will laugh at the absurdity of it all.  But secretly, I am a bit nervous because these folks have a lot of money.  Tons and tons of money.  Rick Perry practically sneezes hundred dollar bills.   Lou Engle and others of his ilk have been the ones making forays into Uganda and other African nations to stir the pot of prejudice and homophobia.  And Michelle Bachmann... well, when she is touted as the smartest of the bunch at a GOP debate in New Hampshire and wins the Iowa straw poll...

But what kind of deity is it that these folks worship?   Is it the same God of Love who showed us all victory over death through Jesus Christ?   And how can they be believing in the same God that I believe in when they openly declare me to be "anti-Christ" by virtue of my sexual orientation?  Of course, Bachmann's husband claims to have a "cure" for my affliction.  But I imagine in the coming months or so, we will learn that he has been fighting to "cure" himself of this same affliction.  That is so often the case with the most ardent homophobes.  And why wouldn't it be?   If they don't believe that "God is Love and where true love is God himself is there", if they really believe there is a legion of hierarchical demons running the world and God is powerless to help those who call out for God's assistance, then--yeah-- self-loathing is the logical next step.

There is no way to reason with people who believe in this Dominionism theology.  But I believe it is important for those of us with a belief in a much larger, broader, and ultimately more powerful God to recognize that this movement is afoot, and is aiming to, among other things, steeplejack our churches.  The folks who carry the banner of this New Apostolic Reformation are in bed with those who have been attacking the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion as a whole.  And they would like to hijack other mainline denominations as well... all in the name of reclaiming the church from "the demons" that recognize God as having ultimate power.

The collect for this week in the Episcopal Church encourages the increase in us of "true religion."  I believe that "true religion" places God at the front and center with the earth under His proverbial feet.  God is in the world as God has been for eons before and will be even after we're gone.   God doesn't need us to defeat demons for God.  God has already defeated the demons.  We are the ones who must wrestle with our own demons in the timeless struggle of living into faith and not fear.   The New Apostolic Reformation movement definitely creates a challenge for me in that department.

Canterbury Condemns Ugandan Ugliness

It really is so rare that I offer praise of the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.  But the ABC has offered a strong statement in condemning the mad rush in Uganda to pass the hateful Anti-Homosexuality bill before the end of this parliamentary session.

"Overall, the proposed legislation is of shocking severity and I can't see how it could be supported by any Anglican who is committed to what the Communion has said in recent decades. Apart from invoking the death penalty, it makes pastoral care impossible - it seeks to turn pastors into informers."

The statement, pulled from the Archbishop's website, notes that this is a reiteration of his position that he took in December, 2009.   I can only hope  that he recognizes the deeply troubling atmosphere present in the situation on the ground in Uganda and that the Anglican Church of Uganda has been a partner in building the homophobia in that country.  He really has nothing to lose in stating that he can't understand, "any Anglican who is committed to what the Communion has said in recent decades" being a party to this desire to imprison LGBT people.  Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi of Uganda doesn't care about the Anglican Communion; he only cares about playing the role of interloper in the United States and being Bishop to those malcontents who hate gays and women more than they love God.

But beyond the obvious that this bill is atrocious and awful and will gain the attention of the likes of me and others in the international 'hood of LGBT bloggers, I found this post at GayUganda the most telling and revealing about why this damn bad penny just won't go away.   It's a diversion away from the other real problems plaguing the country.  News about riots and the arrest of government opposition leaders are out there in the U.S., but buried deep into the newspaper.   And, as is the case usually, it takes a blogger such as GayUganda to make the link.  As he notes, "Gay rights are human rights!" 

The Modern Day Crucifixions

I make a point of participating in Pax Christi's Stations of the Cross held at noon on Good Friday outside the state capitol building.  The stations, as practiced at this service, bring the story of Christ's journey to his crucifixion and death into the modern era.  It mentions the use of firing squads, electric chairs, gas chambers and lethal injection.

It also talks of the other ways in which we crucify people.  How do we treat those who are poor?  How do we treat the sexual minorities?   What are we doing for those who have mental illnesses?  Why are we still waging wars?  And even though the liturgy of this service is very heavily geared toward Roman Catholics, the dozen or so people who gather are coming from Protestant, Jewish and Buddhist traditions as well.  Because the overall sentiment is one that is universal: how are we loving one another and helping to build each other up rather than tear ourselves apart.

For me, I dedicated my participation in this service to the memory of David Kato, the slain gay Ugandan civil rights leader.  On a day when we were commemorating the wrongful death of Jesus, I couldn't help think about that particular execution, and my continued prayers for the people of Uganda that they may be delivered from the homophobia and evils that led to Kato's murder.   In our Good Friday service, I was struck that one of the prayers listed under those who have not received the Gospel of Christ was "For those who in the name of Christ have persecuted others.... that God will open their hearts to the truth, and lead them to faith and obedience."  May it be so in those corners of the earth where people have used the Bible as a baton instead of as a book.  May God's love remain kindled in the hearts of those who have been persecuted because of love, so that they are able to stay true to themselves and remember that those who are using religion as a weapon against them "know not what they are doing."    

Has Bahati Been Defeated?

Slain Ugandan LGBT civil rights leader David Kato. Kato's heinous murder and circus-like funeral may have helped bring down Bahati's anti-gay bill.

A post at Eruptions from the Foot of the Volcano seems to say that the infamous, "Kill the Gays" bill in Uganda has been defeated in Parliament. The bill, sponsored by MP David Bahati, would allow for the execution of some LGBT people, and jail time and fines for others... as well as punishment for those straights who don't turn in their gay neighbors. This news comes a day after the United Nations Human Rights Council reaffirmed its statement that LGBT rights are human rights and condemned of violence against LGBT people. The United States and some European nations took the lead on this at the UN.

This is great news. There has been a lot of pressure coming from outside the African country to not pass this bill. Some reports indicate officials are pulling the measure because there are already anti-gay laws on the book. If only such an argument would work in states like Florida where we not only put anti-gay language in statutes... we seal it up in the state constitution!

Meanwhile, MP David Bahati, the parliamentary leader of this "Kill the Gays" effort and who has been a disciple of US evangelicals including Rick Warren and Scott Lively, is defiantly saying, "the government is aware that 95 percent of Ugandans do not condone homosexuality."

Even if that is true, Uganda does not exist in a vacuum. There has been international outcry after he introduced the bill in 2009. The scurrilous rag, Rolling Stone (not the rock-n-roll magazine), published the photos and addresses of "100 homosexuals" who the paper said should be hanged. One of those pictured was LGBT leader David Kato. Kato was beaten to death with a hammer in his apartment. More disgrace fell upon the country when the Anglican Church of Uganda refused to allow a priest to preside at Kato's funeral, and instead sent a lay reader who launched into an anti-gay rant in the middle of the service. It would seem Bahati, and Archbishop Orombi, and US evangelicals propping up this madness overplayed their hand.

The defeat of this bill is indeed good news. But our eyes must not leave Uganda and other African nations where our LGBT brothers and sisters live in fear. Perfect love casts out fear. We need to support organizations that are offering safety to LGBT people, and keep up the demands from our secular and religious leaders to speak out against the violence and sanction governments that support imprisonment, torture and killing of gay people.

A Response from Lambeth Palace

In my inbox:

Thank you for your message to the Archbishop of Canterbury in relation to the murder of David Kato, the Ugandan gay human rights activist. Thank you also for sharing something of your own personal experiences and reflections.

The Archbishop was in Ireland at the time, meeting with other Primates of the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop issued the following statement, which was then endorsed by fellow Primates gathered for the meeting. See http://www.aco.org/communion/primates/resources/downloads/prim_davidkato.pdf

Yours sincerely
Press release from Lambeth Palace
Friday 28th January 2011
For immediate use

Archbishop condemns murder of Ugandan gay human rights activist

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who is currently in Dublin for the Primates’ meeting, has made the following statement regarding the murder of the gay human rights activist David Kato Kisule in Uganda:
The brutal murder of David Kato Kisule, a gay human rights activist, is profoundly shocking. Our prayers and deep sympathy go out for his family and friends - and for all who live in fear for their lives. Whatever the precise circumstances of his death, which have yet to be determined, we know that David Kato Kisule lived under the threat of violence and death. No one should have to live in such fear because of the bigotry of others. Such violence has been consistently condemned by the Anglican Communion worldwide. This event also makes it all the more urgent for the British Government to secure the safety of LGBT asylum seekers in the UK. This is a moment to take very serious stock and to address those attitudes of mind which endanger the lives of men and women belonging to sexual minorities.
ENDS

COMMENT: They couldn't even sign a name?? Of course, this statement... and even much of the email... reflects events that happened last week, and I've even commented on those things. I'm still very happy that the Archbishop notes that "no one should have to live in such fear because of the bigotry of others." But this statement still doesn't answer the question about the Church of Uganda's behavior in all of this, especially the actions and in-actions of Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, who has done nothing to speak out against the murder of David Kato. Dear Archbishop Williams, now that you are asking the UK government to give asylum to LGBT Ugandans, could you also answer what Bishop Christopher has said in regard to Anglicans who not only don't listen to gay people but are participating in our permanent silencing?

++Rowan: You've Got Mail!

From retired Ugandan Bishop Christopher Senyonjo to the Archbishop of Canterbury:

If Anglicans in one country dehumanize, persecute and imprison minorities, we must be true to the Gospel and challenge such assaults on basic human rights. The key to our ministry must be to educate our people and encourage LGBT people to tell their stories and the impact of homophobia in their lives. Listening to the stories of LGBT people was the beginning of my own transformation.

You can read more about +Christopher's correspondence at Box Turtle Bulletin.

Join The Revolution

No, I'm not talking about Egypt or Tunisia. I'm talking about the growing call for more forceful and broader cries for justice from religious leaders for Uganda's LGBT population in the wake of David Kato's murder. Several people have spoken out, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church. And while the Archbishop correctly condemned the beating death of this LGBT rights activist in Africa, he backed away from calling out the head of the Anglican Church in Uganda, Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi. Orombi continues to carry on about how LGBT people are not part of God's creation. The Anglican Church in Uganda refused to send a priest to preside at David Kato's funeral because of Kato's sexual orientation. And the lay reader who did attend launched into yet-another attack on LGBT people.

I appreciate that the Archbishop denounced the killing of David Kato, and that he pointed to the offensive headlines in the Ugandan rag "Rolling Stone" as contributing to the degradation of LGBT people, something the ABC says is wrong... and has been condemned in the Anglican Communion (well, that was a bit of hyperbole on his part...) However, the Archbishop then defended Bishop Orombi (who has told us he knows why the 'great creator' made men's parts and women's parts different from one another). He said that Orombi has objected to homosexuals in the roles of ministry "on grounds of behaviour, not orientation." I don't know how ++Rowan can condemn a newspaper for inflammatory language, and NOT recognize how his own language contributes to the demonization of LGBT people. Our "behaviour" is no different than what may or may not occur between heterosexual people. So you can't separate "behaviour" from "orientation". I do give him credit, though, for using "orientation" and not "preferance" which is a word I despise hearing in reference to my innermost being. Still, c'mon ++Rowan! Go the next step toward recognizing the complicity of the Church in creating the hostile environment that kept David Kato constantly looking over his shoulder.

The Archbishop of Canterbury wields no real control over anyone else in the Anglican Communion. He can't "do anything" to Orombi. But given that the ABC has been so quick to criticize the Episcopal Church in this country for our inclusion of gay people... he could condemn the Church of Uganda for refusing to send a priest to an Anglican funeral. And he could consider whether or not the so-called "listening process" established during the Windsor Report is even possible in a place like Uganda and what is Orombi doing to live up to that pledge anyway?

You can, of course, join the revolution by writing to the Archbishop at contact@lambethpalace.org.uk. Tell him (again) why he must connect the dots and see that all is not well in the Anglican Communion.

This is important... especially with the National Prayer Breakfast hosted by "The Family" in Washington, DC happening today. "The Family" is a business and political machine that has helped funnel money and homophobia to Africa. Florida's Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat, is among the members of "The Family" which owns a house on C Street in Washington. Bishop Gene Robinson is calling on those attending the National Prayer Breakfast to remember David Kato, a victim of "The Family's" agenda in Uganda, during their prayers (to read more about "The Family", check out Eruptions at the Foot of the Volcano ) LGBT activists are planning to greet the attendees outside the doors of the Hilton Hotel with their "Breakfast Against Bigotry". Other activists will be assembling outside the United Nations in New York.

Where will you be assembling? If you have no place to go, then I ask you to grab a cup of tea or coffee, and pray with me:

The Lord be with you.
Gracious and merciful God, who gave your servant David the courage to stand up to intolerance and hatred; let his light be the fire in all our hearts as we carry forth his desire to see a world modeled after your kingdom, where all people are treated with dignity and fairness. And lead us all to a new understanding, us and our enemies. Deliver us from prejudice, hatred and cruelty, so that we may all know true love of neighbor and be reconciled before you. Amen.

For Him We Prayed

As I noted in this post, the Mad Priest had suggested that all Episcopalians and Anglicans work to undo the travesty committed at Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato's funeral by conducting a proper funeral service in our own houses of worship. Mother Phoebe McFarlin took up that call, and yesterday, she and I read Burial Rite II from the Book of Common Prayer for our brother in Christ.

The scripture readings were the same ones from Sunday as noted in my post from that day. And we shared in a Eucharist dedicated to his life and the desire to see his life in resurrection lived out by many who will continue the drumbeat for full equality for all of God's children.

Mtr. Phoebe gave me her sermon notes:

David showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate. He was a powerful advocate for fairness and freedom. David tirelessly devoted himself to improving life for others.

I will add that he was a conscience in the body of Christ and a light that will not be so easily extinguished.

There is a memorial service planned for David Kato in New York City at Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive at 12th Street on Monday, Feb. 7th at 7pm.

Meanwhile, "The Family", the group that has funneled money and helped prop up the homophobia and evangelical evil in Uganda is hosting the annual National Prayer Breakfast for U.S. politicians this Thursday. Gay rights activists are planning to be outside the Washington Hilton to offer an alternative "Breakfast Without Bigotry". I'm half-tempted to have my own "B w/o B" at Black Dog Cafe. We'll call it "Coffee without the Crap".

+++++++
New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson has joined with Auburn Theological Seminary to call for the National Prayer Breakfast organizers to pray for David Kato.

And Deliver Us From Evil

Archbishop Henry Orombi

The Mad Priest has made a suggestion that I would love to see happen across Episcopal Churches, and throughout the Anglican Communion: given the deplorable actions of the "official" representative of the Anglican Church of Uganda at David Kato's funeral, the rest of us should celebrate the slain activist's life by reading for him a proper burial service. This would be a way of delivering us from an evil committed against a dead man, and his friends and family, by a church that has decided to place itself in the judgement seat of God.

The readings for this Sunday, too, speak to me about the abuses that have happened this week in Uganda, and elsewhere, against LGBT people. Our first lesson is from the prophet, Micah, which begins with God reminding Israel of all that has been done for the nation.

"With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
--Micah 6: 6-8

Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God. That is what is expected. I wonder if the head of the Church of Uganda, Archbishop Henry Orombi, has any clue or concept that he must read this passage from the prophet and see the error of his ways? He has encouraged and fostered hatred of homosexuals in his country and around the globe. Let's face it: St. Peter's Anglican Church, the renegade crew that left St. John's in Tallahassee with accusations of 'unorthodoxy' and such, is affiliated with the Anglican Church in Uganda. And one need only do a YouTube search to find that the faux priest Eric Dudley is STILL foaming at the mouth about TEC's acceptance of LGBT Christians. I would ask Eric Dudley, Henry Orombi, Nicholas Okoh, Martin Ssempa, Scott Lively, "The Family" on C Street and all the others: where was the justice and the kindness in the offense committed at David Kato's funeral? How was launching into an anti-gay rant at a gay man's funeral a humble walk with your God?

"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us..."

I am admittedly finding it extremely difficult to forgive what is happening on the ground in Uganda. Ultimately, I know that God is watching what is unfolding there, and my hope rests in the belief that Kato's death may stir some otherwise complacent people to see that the time for silence and wishy-washy liberal excuses about not wanting to appear "colonial" will come to a halt. This is a human rights issue, not a matter of trying to impose foreign rule. It is not OK to kill or to call for the hanging of peaceful people such as Bishop Christopher Senyonjo. People are being murdered for who they are. How is this different from any other holocaust or genocide in history?

The gospel lesson for today comes from Matthew's account of Jesus' sermon on the mount and reciting of the beatitudes:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. --Matt 5: 3-12

To all people, and especially my LGBT brothers and sisters in Uganda and Honduras and all parts of the world where you face danger and persecution: the idea of 'rejoicing and being glad' for what is happening may sound idiotic at times. It certainly has to me! But I believe in a God who loves. I believe that those of us who are living as God has known us to be are the ones who are bringing us closer to the fulfillment of the prayer: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We remain grounded in our truth because we are blessed.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Stonewall in Uganda and a Communion Divided

It is no small irony that as I write this entry, the shuffle on my CD player has landed on the 60s Burt Bacharach tune, "What the World Needs Now is Love." After all, "it's the only thing that there's just too little of."

Nowhere is that more evident than in Uganda. Friday was the funeral for slain LGBT rights activist, David Kato. Bishop Christopher Senyonjo was in attendance, a brave move given that he, too, is among those targeted in the tabloids to be hanged. Reverend Canon Albert Ogle, who runs St. Paul Foundation which supports Bishop Christopher's work to help LGBT Ugandans, reported that Kato's funeral became an anti-gay rally...

Since Kato was an Anglican, the local parish church of Nagojje was responsible for his funeral rites to be read from the Book of Common Prayer. Although tributes have been pouring into the Kato family from President Barack Obama and other international leaders, the Church of Uganda sent no priest, no bishop, but a Lay Reader to conduct the service.

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo arrived in his purple cassock accompanied by his wife Mary and let the master of ceremonies know he would like to say a few words at some point in the service. He was going to read a message from Frank Mughisu of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) where David worked tirelessly since 2004.

As an excommunicated bishop of the Church of Uganda, Christopher has no standing in the official hierarchy of the church. The Lay Reader began to make inappropriate remarks condemning homosexuality quite graphically and stating the Church of Uganda’s position that homosexuality was a sin and against the Bible.

The crowd began to cheer him on and the bishop described the event as turning into an anti-gay rally. The bishop was never called upon to speak. He felt for the LGBT community having to suffer yet another public humiliation.

This scene would have continued, but for the actions of one brave lesbian named Kasha who grabbed the microphone away from the lay reader. In Ogle's words, this (Kato's violent death and chaotic funeral) was "the Stonewall moment" for LGBT Ugandans. The reader fled the scene and David Kato's friends completed the service. They had to carry his coffin and bury him quickly as reports are that the local villagers began to assemble against them.

As life for Ugandan LGBT people is becoming more and more difficult and dangerous, the Anglican Church of Uganda has shown little resemblance to the Christ it proclaims to profess.
They refused to send a priest to lead the service, and the man they did send launches into a diatribe about homosexuality. The police in Kampala are claiming Kato's death was an "aggravated robbery" and had nothing to do with is homosexuality or his activism for LGBT rights. Will the Anglican Church of Uganda say anything? I believe the lay reader they sent said enough!

In Canon Ogle's commentary, he poses the central question:
As the Anglican Primates gather in Dublin, Ireland, the question they must ask themselves and ponder this weekend is what kind of Anglicanism are we really representing? What are we proud of from David Kato’s life and the rites our church provided over his dead body? And what are we ashamed of?

From the description of what happened, the Anglican Church... as practiced in Uganda... has much to repent of the sins committed. The Archbishop of Canterbury did issue a statement on the murder from Dublin, where he condemned the killing as "profoundly shocking".

"Our prayers and deep sympathy go out for his family and friends - and for all who live in fear for their lives. Whatever the precise circumstances of his death, which have yet to be determined, we know that David Kato Kisule lived under the threat of violence and death. No one should have to live in such fear because of the bigotry of others. Such violence has been consistently condemned by the Anglican Communion worldwide. This event also makes it all the more urgent for the British Government to secure the safety of LGBT asylum seekers in the UK. This is a moment to take very serious stock and to address those attitudes of mind which endanger the lives of men and women belonging to sexual minorities."

Our own Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, offered prayers for Kato during the eucharist in Dublin, and added that she hopes that from David Kato's life we might gain "a heart of flesh rather than a heart of stone."

But I question where the heart is at all in Uganda. So successfully poisoned by white evangelical American preachers, and the fear of "others", Ugandans seemed to have suffered a massive heart attack. So what will we gain? Will we acknowledge that Kato's death... and his funeral... show us that we in the Anglican Communion can not live in harmony with one another as long as this anti-gay pogrom continues with a wink and a nod from the local Anglican Churches? Will we try to bring a new voice to Ugandan Anglicans, one that sounds more like Bishop Senyonjo? In the resurrection of Kato, will we finally have the understanding that all the kings horses and all the kings men can not put this Humpty Dumpty Communion back together again?

If this is indeed the "Stonewall moment" for LGBT people in Uganda, then something new must be created out of the chaos.

To the Archbishop of Canterbury...

Dear Archbishop Williams,

It is with great sadness and urgency that I am writing to you about the murder of LGBT activist David Kato. Kato's murder in Uganda is terrible, but not unexpected given the increasingly dangerous situation there with tabloids publishing the pictures and addresses of gay and lesbian people and their allies with the headlines to hang them. Bishop Christopher Senyonjo was among those pictured, and now his life is in danger. This can not continue without comment from you as the Archbishop of Canterbury.

I implore you, sir: please use your position as a leader in the Anglican Communion to say that such violence against other human beings is anti-Christian, anti-Anglican, and will not be tolerated any longer. You must call on the Anglican Church of Uganda to cease its tacit participation in the violence against LGBT people in that country. We are not all of one mind on human sexuality and gender expression in the Communion. That much is clear. But we should be of one mind that murdering other human beings... regardless of who they are... is a sin.

The silence of the Church on these matters presents a stumbling block to those looking for Christians to follow the gospel message of protecting the weak, the friendless, the oppressed. Please, sir. Speak now.

Peace,

Susan Gage
Tallahassee, FL, USA

Kato Murder: Homophobia=Death

One of the leaders of Sexual Minorities Uganda is dead. Murdered in his house, and only weeks after he and others successfully sued a tabloid newspaper that published their photos and addresses with an incitement to "hang them" for being homosexuals.

The report on the Human Rights Watch website indicates that David Kato, who had been one of the leading voices of Uganda's LGBT movement and an outspoken critic of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill filed by Parliament member David Bahati, was hit twice in the head by his assailant who then drove off. Kato died on the way to the hospital. Human Rights Watch is calling for the police to do a thorough and impartial investigation into his murder. I can't say as I have much hope for that.

The situation in Uganda has been going from bad to worse for awhile. Aiding in them falling into the death pit of homophobia are evangelical preachers from the USA who have decided to export hatred and fear of the sexual minorities to Africa. They have played upon the need for the strong to always find a weakling to attack so they can know they're the strong. It is horrid. It is disgusting. And it is anti-Christian. It is time for the international community, secular and religious, to stop side-stepping their moral responsibilities on this situation in Uganda and impose sanctions until the government of President Museveni puts an end to this pogrom.

Kato had said he was afraid for his life after the Ugandan tabloid, the Rolling Stone, published his photo and address as one of the "100 homosexuals" that the paper said should be hanged. Sadly, he was right to be scared.

Even Jesus Got the Activist Blues

I was feeling pretty down in the dumps yesterday.
I couldn't shake that statement I'd made at the end of my last post about the United States, it's claim to be a nation "under God", and yet everywhere I look, I fail to see evidence that we are living into the kingdom. I watched Rachel Maddow's interview with the nasty David Bahati, author of the "Kill the Gays" bill in Uganda, and it only further depressed me. And then there's the on-going strife over the Anglican Covenant which only feeds into the bullying of anyone wishing to see the Church better reflect the diversity of the kingdom. Dare to be different; we'll censure you and kick you out of the Communion. Nice, eh?
But luckily, yesterday was Friday, I was serving at noon-day with Fr. Lee Graham, and our gospel lesson was from Matthew:

‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.”
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’--Matt 11: 16-19

We were supposed to end there. But Fr. Graham included the next section.

Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum,
will you be exalted to heaven?
No, you will be brought down to Hades.
For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.’ --Matt 11: 20-24

He suggested in his homily that this is another glimpse of the humanity of Jesus. He is trying to get his fellow Jews to rethink their ways, and he's experiencing the push-back from those who don't want to change. Something Fr. Graham dealt with during the civil rights era in Alabama as they tried to integrate the schools in Birmingham. It was him versus' the establishment. And in those days, the establishment had an affiliation with a certain organization known as the Ku Klux Klan. And the newspaper was in cahoots with the Klan, so everything Fr. Graham had said at this particular meeting with the secular leaders of Birmingham was left out of the story. It was almost as if he hadn't been there at all.

As he talked, I felt a wave of calm move through my body. There's something very reassuring to hear that your own struggle, your own frustration with the slow pace of change, and your own feelings of 'am I just being ignored?!', is nothing new. And there have been plenty of great people before you who have faced this same problem. Even Jesus. It is the place of an activist... the place of a prophet. Suddenly, the words of this Second Week of Advent's collect came alive for me:

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to
preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our
Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Now is the time to keep speaking up. And you just gotta hope that somebody is listening. You can sing the blues, but don't let that tune keep you down or keep you from speaking your truth. Amen.

On Martyrs and Betrayl

‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. --Matt 10:16-22
Anglicans across the globe will be marking today as the commemoration of James Hannington and dozens of other Anglican and Roman Catholic missionaries who have been beheaded or burned alive in the annals of time in Uganda. The country has seen much turmoil with secular leadership being either 'fer or a'gin' Christianity and the presence of foreign missionaries. Today, the country is 85-percent Christian, and that Christianity has taken a swing toward creating a new category of "other" in the country.
Fueled by evangelical Christians from the United States, Uganda's sometimes virulent hatred of LGBT people is rising to levels that should be getting the attention of Christians, especially leaders such as the Archbishop of Canterbury. As noted in my post, "The New Ugandan Martyrs?", a publication urging the hanging of leaders such as retired Anglican Bishop Christopher Senyonjo for ministering to and protecting LGBT people should have been condemned by all bishops in the Communion. Sadly, only one, Bishop Mark Sisk of New York, has taken this up. According to Integrity USA, +Sisk wrote privately to the ABC asking him to please make a statement against such threatened violence. So far, not a word out of Lambeth.
Perhaps the Archbishop is too busy preparing for next month's General Synod and the ram-rodding through of the Anglican Covenant. Or perhaps he's still frothing at the mouth about duly-elected and consecrated LGBT bishops in the USA. Or perhaps, somehow, this story out of Uganda that has been on major networks such as CNN and BBC never reached his desk.
Or perhaps... he condones this attack on fellow members of God's kingdom. Unless ++Rowan says something, how are we to know what he really thinks?
"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Bishop Christopher and his wife appear to be safe. That's both literally and spiritually. LGBT people are grateful for his witness amidst the wolves in Africa. May others join him in proclaiming a gospel that is for ALL people.