Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Love and Shame

Written in the middle of the night, as I can't sleep right now.

I am ashamed of the United Methodist Church!  A Methodist minister is in court and being sentenced (I haven't heard yet) for officiating at the marriage of his son and his son's partner, a gay man.  In the Methodist church, clergy are not allowed to marry any gay or lesbian people.  If they are found out, they will be punished.  This particular man could not say that he would never do it again, because the majority of his children are gay.  What a blessing this father and pastor is.  The cost of loving and opening, and following through in that love with action, is terrible!

Even though the vote FOR welcoming, which includes marrying, GLBT persons fully into the life of the church, gets closer and closer to acceptance, it is not there yet.  One reason is that unlike some other denominations, the Methodist church is a world-wide church.   All are joined together, rather than being individual churches.  Many of the churches in other countries, particularly Africa, seem to be where we were some years ago--discriminating against those who are GLBT.  

Still, it is difficult to think that we in the United Methodist Church cannot practice our Christian love and mercy by loving and  including ALL in the full life of the church.  How can we not?  We are all ONE!

Which means--how am I going to love and be merciful to those who believe and practice something that seems so narrow and hateful and judgemental to me.  Now I am the judging one.  That just proves we are one--in more ways than one (no pun intended).

I will try to open my heart to them, knowing I, too, am narrow.  AND--I will continue to speak out;  I will continue to celebrate gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender people. My heart warms when I see them loving each other--out of the closet.  I have been privileged to know many as friends, and to have heard many of their stories, some of which are heartbreaking.

Open my heart and mind Holy One, to love and exclude none--no one.