I'm Meaner Than The Other Guy

"...I really do not think that we should have homosexuals guiding our children. I think that it’s a lifestyle that I don’t agree with. I realize a lot of people do. It’s my personal faith, religious faith, that I don’t believe that the people who do this should be raising our children. It’s not a natural thing."

That's what Republican Attorney General and candidate for Governor Bill McCollum told the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper, which is the main publication of the the Florida Southern Baptist Convention. It was in answer to questions about gay adoption (which he opposes) and, in this instance, whether he thinks the state should ban LGBT persons from being foster parents. You can see how he answered that question. Estimates are that there are more than 30,000 children in the state's foster care system. God forbid any of them find a home with a gay or lesbian couple!

McCollum's statements come as early voting commences in the state in advance of the August 24th primary. McCollum, who was supposed to be knighted the GOP nominee, has found himself in a dog-fight with Rick Scott, a Medicare fraud crook, who touts that he wants to bring Arizona's anti-immigration fervor to Florida... a state where people from elsewhere far out number those who are true natives. I guess after wasting $87,000 on George "Rentboy.com" Rekers as an expert in the gay adoption case, McCollum feels the need to prove that he's truly homophobic and will be much more draconian on those queers than his opponent who is appealing to the basest instincts of the Republican party's base.

I feel a collect coming on...

O God, the one who knows the true hearts of all people and knows the longing and loneliness of children left unloved by parents, grant that as we make decisions on our future leadership we may discern in the words of candidates who will best carry us closer to realizing a world of kindness and compassion, so that we may better honor your message of Love. We ask this in your Name. Amen.

A Burden of Faith

Have you ever seen the bumper sticker: "Jesus is coming. Look busy!"? I have a feeling this joke has its roots in the gospel reading from Luke assigned for tomorrow. Jesus is telling parables and preparing his followers for what is to come by telling them not to worry.

Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. --Luke 12:33-34

He launches into a parable about the slaves waiting for the master to return from the wedding banquet:

Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. --Luke 12: 37-38

Peter wants to know if this message is for the disciples or the crowd. And after another parable involving a master and slaves, in which some who failed to keep up their end of the bargain in the absence of the master get greatly punished, Jesus finishes by saying:

From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. --Luke 12:48b

The way I read this, Jesus is emphasizing the point to all who have ears to hear and are listening. And the second part of his admonition carries a special weight for those who (in the very near future) will be entrusted to tend his flock and feed his sheep. I've said before that I don't think Jesus is looking for a fan club; he's looking for followers, people who will take their Mary-energy and apply Martha-like action. These are the people who, when the chips are down, put their trust in God and lose their attachments to "things" in the process. These are the people of faith, not the people of fear.

That sounds all well and good. But doing it (really doing it) is not always so easy. I know in these past two weeks, as I have encountered some sudden symptoms that caused me tremendous discomfort in my body, I found myself slipping out of that place of trusting in God, and instead, becoming consumed in worry, fear and hopelessness. I never went to the place of thinking that God had abandoned me, but I certainly was wondering if this was some kind of test of my willingness to ask for help... and trust those with the ability to help me. I did get to that place of praying for God to not only be with me, but my nurse practitioner, the nurse, the phlebotomist, the receptionist. There are serious medical issues involving the GI tract in my family history, and without insurance, I was panicking... needlessly. Trust God.

People of faith carry a heavy burden. Putting trust in something that is indescribable, untouchable, and so unearthly is a sign of faith. And it makes one an oddball because "the world" operates in the concrete and not the conceptual. And when you add an extra layer of "gay" on top of it... yeah, then you're REALLY strange for having faith. And yet it is this crazy faith in God that has allowed me to keep a lamp of hope lit that "things" such as Prop H8 would come crashing down. Faith in God means knowing that justice will come... even if it comes slowly and with much pain along the way.

Among the people of faith are those who have been called into the role of the ordained priesthood. These are among the "entrusted" to whom I believe Jesus is speaking. Of this set "even more will be demanded". Ask a priest--they'll tell you, they're in demand! This week, National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" did a segment on the problems of burn out among the clergy. The accessibility with all the means of communication alone makes priests and ministers more available than they truthfully are. And, like any job that is high stress and public profile, it can wear one out... or drive one to deal with the stress through chemical means. What makes clergy stress different from other occupations is that the clergy are saddled with such tasks as explaining the Trinity. And they have to be an administrator. And they have to be a counselor. And they have to be a teacher. And they have to be the complaint center. And they have to do all of that while God keeps them in the oddball camp.

Yet, people do get ordained. I imagine because they trust God. Or maybe it's that God trusts them because God knows them and is prepared to keep the promise of not revoking the covenant with Noah. If they find the flood waters rising, God will get them safely to a different shore.

Have faith. Trust God. All will be well.

Too Much for Words

Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.--Luke 9:35-36

I chose to do the Morning Prayer readings for the Transfiguration rather than continuing the trek through Judges and Acts. And an interesting thing occurred to me as I contemplated the above line from Luke's gospel. Peter, James and John had just been through something extraordinary: they found themselves enveloped in a cloud and the majestic voice had spoken to them. They had seen their teacher, Jesus, placed between the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). And they have been let in on the mystery as to who Jesus is. Big stuff!

Like when Moses comes down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets and his face was so bright that it frightened the Israelites, I see this moment with the three disciples as one where they have been exposed to something so phenomenal that they simply can not put it into words. I've had those moments where, especially following time spent in prayerful meditation, what I have been engaged in can not be described. This is not to say that I'm having amazing awesome experiences of God every time I sit for twenty minutes in prayer. But I do feel that an exchange has occurred and I can't really put into words what it was.

So, I'm left wondering about the three disciples. Others who were healed by Jesus during his ministry, even when told to keep quiet, couldn't do it. They had to run out and tell everyone what had happened. But here, the disciples are given something few had received: an unveiling of God. I wonder if this was so huge that the best thing, and the only thing they could do, was keep silent? Is there a level of maturity in their faith that led them to that, or is it simply that God zipped up their lips for this occasion? I can't know the answer to these questions. But they interest me.

Marriage: That Special Word

In the aftermath of Judge Walker's decision, my wall on Facebook has been a running commentary on Prop H8. One of my friends seems to have some friends who are not that friendly to the landmark decision out of California yesterday. Their objections fall into two basic arguments: 1. "Marriage is a special term set aside for heterosexual couples and you LGBT people are stealing our word." and 2. "Marriage is our special word, and if all you want are the rights and privileges of our special word, why don't you draw up various legal contracts to get those rights and leave our word alone."

What is it about straight people that they get so uppity about the word "marriage"? Why is this so important to them that allowing other people access to the word is like peeing in their bathtub?

I blame the church for some of this. People associate "marriage" with "church steeple". I don't know when this practice began, but somewhere along the way, somebody must have seen a way to make an unholy alliance between church and state by allowing priests and ministers to sign off on marriage licenses. Signing the paperwork, and having it notarized, is what legally binds a couple in marriage which is really all the state cares about. The state doesn't care what color the bridesmaids dresses are. It doesn't care if there's a Eucharist at the wedding. It really doesn't care about the poetry of the vows. All the state wants is a signed and notarized piece of paper with the names of the happy couple... and $92.00. Thanks. Next...

The trouble is, the happy couple and all their friends and family believe that the priest or minister is instrumental to the marriage ceremony. And certainly, if there's going to be a wedding in a church, it helps to have a person of the cloth there to officiate. But the role of the priest or minister is to bless the marriage before God and God's people. Then, once all the pomp and circumstance is over, the priest or minister signs the certificate... thus satisfying the state requirement. And this is where I want to blow the whistle and scream, "Foul!"

I believe that by doing this final act... the church has now stepped into the role of the state. And, as long as the laws in places like Florida uphold discrimination against some couples, I don't think the church ought to be a party to that final act. Bless the marriages. Deliver a wise sermon on that famous 1 Corinthians passage about "Love". Sanctify this union, and then direct the couple to the appropriate state authority to get their papers signed!

Somehow, in some way, we have to be able to teach people that the "special word" is a synonym for a not-so-special word: "contract". That's what marriage is; a legal contract. As Judge Vaughn Walker noted in his ruling yesterday:

"Marriage is the state recognition and approval of a couple’s
choice to live with each other, to remain committed to one
another and to form a household based on their own feelings
about one another and to join in an economic partnership and
support one another and any dependents." Walker ruling in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, p.67

Why is this "For Heterosexuals Only"? It isn't. Where is God in this definition? I believe in a place beyond this definition, and not getting bogged down in the details of "economic partnership". I believe that God is interested only in how we love God and how we love our neighbor. And the genders of the couple at the altar is immaterial.

God is love and where true love is, God himself is there.

Yay, California!!! Prop H8 Found Unconstitutional

"Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional."--Judge Vaughn Walker

Strike up the band and let's have a round of "California Here We Come!" This is very exciting and good news! As always, the courts in California can see the meaning behind the phrase "with liberty and justice for all!" Not "some". Not just "heterosexuals". While this ruling has no direct effect on my life in Florida (remember, our voters passed Amendment Two... an even more draconian measure than Prop H8), this conclusion by Judge Walker gives me hope that if the opposition continues to press this point all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Amendment Two may one day fall by the wayside.

Speculation and dreaming aside, I am thrilled for this victory tonight. Praise God from whom all blessings flow (and God's blessings also flow for all!) and hugs and kisses to the happy couples of California!

Prayer of Thanksgiving

The priest with whom I serve on Fridays at the noon day eucharist is celebrating a major milestone today. Fr. Lee Graham is 90! To mark this occassion, I ask that you pray this thanksgiving from the BCP:

O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we
pray, on you servant Lee as he begins another year. Grant
that he may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen his
trust in your goodness all the days of his life; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

Now Fr. Graham is a veteran of the Episcopal Church in Birmingham at the time of Martin Luther King, Jr.and the civil rights movement. In fact, he was one of the ministers who went to visit King in the Birmingham jail. The experience did much to shape and change this white native Southerner. So growing in wisdom... wow, he has a lot now. But I will trust that God has more to give him... and to give all of us.

Getting to the Point

Thumbs up to Jackson Holbrook, the protestor of the protestor! I got tagged in this photo on Facebook. The corner is Duval and Eaton in Key West, FL. And really, the guy with the "God Hates Fags" sign seriously needed a compass. I can't imagine standing on the street with a sign like that in one of this country's gay Meccas. The city motto is "One Human Family", no doubt written in rainbow colors! I'm guessing his choice of street corner was intentional: this is outside St. Paul's Episcopal Church, a welcoming congregation. Anyway, word is that other people joined Jackson, and eventually the "God Hates Fags" man literally ran away. Good! Thanks to Laura Mann for the photo.