Letter to a Friend

Got an email from a dear friend this morning, venting about his frustration with regard to the potential splits going on in The Episcopal Church right now over homosexuality. I hadn't meant to give him such a lengthy response (sorry dear friend!), but as I wrote him back, I realized that the things I was saying I wanted to say outloud in a larger context, so here's my slightly edited version...just because I needed to say it.

My friend, I am sooo with you! You are quite right about Jesus and the Bible not emphasizing the issue the way the church is doing right now. In fact, when you put the "clobber passages" together (that's what many of us call them) into context socially, historically, as well scripturally, one finds that they don't even address the subject as we know it today. (If you'd be interested in reading a bit more, I highly recommend Walter Wink's "Homosexuality and the Bible.")

I find the whole political climate frustrating because it is clear as day to me (and I do emphasize the "to me" part) that the backlash is one of cultural bias and fear with some very evil influences from those who see this as a power play. What we are seeing now is in many ways no different than the cultural and moral battles over racial and gender equality, and I think we'd both agree that neither of those issues is completely resolved either. But I think the thing we might need to focus on is that there has been progress, and I believe that there will continue to be.

I believe this not only because as a person of faith I feel called to invest myself in kingdom values (far superior to the "family values" being touted right now!) and because I know that this issue is not going away any more than the others did. I have to believe that the hate rhetoric will be revealed for what it is and that people will come to see that what they thought they knew is indeed erroneous. I am also acutely aware that there will be casualities. I'm willing to be one of them.

Hope I'm not sounding glib, because I assure you that I am not. I live with this heartbreak on a daily basis and have for a long time now. But as this is the kind of thing that can seriously bring me down I have to find a response that can bring hope and give life. This battle will not be won by who has the biggest megaphone but by who loves the most. Hate is not a family value and eventually I believe that the slurs, rhetoric, and misunderstandings will come into the Light.

Thank you for your outrage. It is profoundly encouraging to hear that others see how wrong the situation in the church is right now especially when they don't have to. But then on the other hand, even if homosexuality is not your issue, the lack of unity and love in our church is indeed every person's issue or, in my opinion, should be.