Rhetoric Race and Religion
There is power in having the courage to stand up for what you believe is right. I’m learning this fact as I go through my journey of navigating the politics of the Seventh-day Adventist church, fighting to make our educational institutions safe for LGBT students. I realize that, although we call ourselves Christians, we are so often quick to pick up the first stone. I have had those stones hurled at me while trying to be transparent in my calling to bridge the gap between the LGBT community and the Seventh-day Adventist church. Stones hurt and, quite frankly, I’m tired.
I’m tired of standing up for a church that so frequently does not love me. I’m tired of trying my best to be a part of a community where I can feel their hands pushing me outside of the sanctuary as my fingertips grasp the doorway. I’m just so tired.
Relationships are a two way street, but I am on a one-way road heading in the opposite direction. This tight-rope balancing act they have me doing seems pointless when the church is ready, waiting on both ends to cut my wire. Just this year I’ve dealt with legal threats and personal attacks. People who once called me family have walked by me without so much as acknowledging my existence. All of this simply because I believe God’s love is inclusive. I know that God loves me for who I am. His arms are open to all — even lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Last week, a friend, ally and pastor, Ryan Bell, was let go from the Hollywood Adventist Church. One of the core reasons was because of his radical approach to LGBT members. In an eloquentopen letter, he informed his church, friends and family that he was to no longer pastor there after eight years of service.
Read the rest here
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In