The last few weeks have been big ones for the LGBT community and its allies. The Supreme Court's rulings are breaths of fresh air, but I confess, I was more excited by the closing of Exodus International. For me, that represents the shifting tide in North American Christianity and I am even more grateful for that. I am especially grateful that people have realized reparative therapy doesn't work and are no longer continuing this hurtful practice.
The glimpses of these ways that God is breaking into the world are wonderful, beautiful, reassuring. I give thanks, as do many of my brothers and sisters. In just a few weeks' time, we got rainbows, unicorns and glitter.
Except some saw storm clouds, scorpions and dirt.
And many of those people are my brothers and sisters, too.
Where I saw God breaking into the world, they saw signs that God must soon return to reclaim the world from evil. Where I rejoiced, they began wringing their hands much more fervently.
These people are beloved to God and to me. I'm not talking about nasty internet rhetoric so easily spewed and the people behind those words. I'm talking about people whom I have served alongside, building houses and serving food, in worship and holding hands of elderly. These are people whom I deeply love. We've spent late nights and early mornings together. They know how messy my living space always is and how organized the rest of my life usually is. We've cried together and laughed together and evaded police together. Our lives are shared--classes and lunches, weddings and babies, new apartments and buying houses, moving away and sweet reunions.
So it's strange. I am completely convinced these changes in the world are God's changes. But the day I changed my Facebook picture to the red equal sign--at the request of a gay friend--I realized the number of friends I had dropped. Not many. Under 10. But it happened. I'm sure some of those weren't close friends, but at least one was a beautiful friend, with whom I shared sleepovers and pep rallies and lots of other things. It reminded me of a few years before, when the same discussion meant that I haven't since spoken with one of only two friends who were with me when I was baptized.
There's no conclusion to this discussion, no sort of easy summation. It's only a story of brokenness and a reiteration of my own vibrant hope that God in Christ will truly, one day, make all things new.
Additional note: my denomination will be talking about the welcome of LGBT folks at our General Assembly that begins in just a couple days. The offered resolution is already the subject of much debate. My prayers are for those of us on both sides. I never doubt that we're all still followers of Christ, still searching for the reign of God that is at hand.
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