The 5 primates boycotting Lambeth, whining about how they have 'not been able to take communion' with Presiding Bishop ++Katherine Jefferts Schori and their inability to tolerate the presence of duly elected, confirmed and consecrated Bishop V.+Gene Robinson and his partner at Lambeth; and the murder of a 15 year old gay man in his high school cumputer lab. Does anyone else see a connection here?
I'm not for a moment suggesting that Brandon David McInerney has even heard of Lambeth, the pouting Primates, ++Katherine or +Gene; but he did pull that trigger because Lawrence King was 'freaking the guys out,' to quote one of their female class-mates.
What we're talking about in both instances is violence- and nothing less. A violent intollerence of difference,a refusal to learn or enrich their own lives by recognizing the Divinely-made humanity of that difference.
Bullies, through verbal or physical violence trying to impose their handicaped version of reality on others.
As if that wasn't enough the Primates go on to complain about the anticipated presence of 30 LGBT activists a Lambeth; Baptized Anglicans, many who are daily paying a price for their visibility and ministry as people of faith. And yet the 'purity police of the patriarchy' complain 'We would be the continual target of activist campaigners and media intrusion. In these circumstances we could not feel at home."
You bet your sweet corziers you would be!
And deservedly so- because the spectacle of violence, threats, mysogeny and homophobia in the name of God are such shameful scandals in this day and age they are worthy little more than the Entertainment News in the mind of many disaffected and recovering Christians.
As if this weren't enough, the week ended with this final insult, from +Cantebury himself, speaking of the pouting Primates' decision to boycott.
'Williams said the decision of some to be absent from Lambeth "not only shows the deep differences over theology and ethics that have so strained our connections; it also reflects, uncomfortably for us, some of the legacy of hurt that is felt by some of our provinces at what is experienced as patronizing or manipulative or insensitive actions and attitudes on the part of many of the churches of the 'West' or 'North' -- not only the Episcopal Church in the USA...That's hard to hear, but we have to hear it and to offer apologies and seek for better understanding. Lambeth can't be the end of the story."'
Excuse me?
What about the generations of violence, fear & homophobia spawned by the purple-shirted patriarchy and their kind?
What about the LGBT lives terrorized, cut short or handicapped by centuries of objectification, hatred and violence of LGBT people?
What about the countless lives of faith, hurt, confused or alienated from their own spirit because of the hatred and objectification of LGBT people of faith practiced by their priests and bishops?
Never has it been clearer- to me at least, what a rediculous spectacle these men are making of the redemptive love embodied in the life and ministry of our Lord's incarnation.
Ignoring, more than a hundred years of science, psychology & law they make a shameful spectacle of themselves by displaying just what an archaic artifact their understanding of the Gospel and Christian faith is.
Shame on them!
Incapable of understanding or dialoging with contemporary understanding of human nature, they insist on the subjegation of more than one half of humanity and a medieval condemnation of anything inconsistent with their hetrosexually-challenged masculinity.
Shame on them!
And shame on ++Rowan Williams too.
It's not as if there's ever a lack of human suffering to justify any argument, but once again ++Rowan, you, as our currently most visible embodiment of patriarchy have dismissed by omission the role of our Church in centuries of homophobic violence and discrimination; you've devalued the prayerful execise in faith of the people of New Hampshire; you've objectified and discriminated against a duly elected and consecrated brother Bishop and discounted the lives of all American Anglicans.
As if that weren't enough, your cowardly inaction and ineffective pronouncements have tolerated Episcopal piracy, the virulent oppression of LGBT men and women of faith, the scandalization of countless others & the public ridicule of our faith.
When is enough, enough ++Rowan? When do YOU draw your line in the sand.
Of course we LGBT folk have gained two more saints this week:
Saint Lawrence King pray for us
Saint Jody Debrowski pray for
Saint Matthew Shepard pray for us
Saint Mychal Judge pray for us
Saint Aaron James Light pray for us
Saint Billy Jack Gaither pray for us
Saint Barry Winchell pray for us
Saint Dejsn Nebrigic pray for us
Saint Steen Keith Fenrich pray for us
Saint Arthur Warren Jr. pray for us
Saint Marcus Wayman pray for us
Saint Danny Lee Overstred pray for us
Saint fred Martinez Jr. pray for us
Saint Arthur Warren pray for us
Saint Jeff Wahlen pray for us
Saint Edgar Garzon pray for us
Saint Gary Matson pray for us
Saint Winfield Mowder pray for us
Saint David Buller pray for us
Saint Harvey Milk pray for us
All you LGBT saints unknown to us,but martyrs to difference pray for us
And pray that the Anglican Communion learn to repent of its role in the homophobia & violence which murdered each one of you.
I'm tired of the martyrdom of my people at the hands of frightened homophobes, the gossip & objectification of my brothers and sisters by the insecure and imature, the discrimination and oppression of difference... because in the end fear is what it's all about... fear (or the inability to live & interact with) difference.
All of us should be praying for Brandon David McInerney- the poor, misguided 14 year old, 'freaked out' by Lawrence's difference, who probably doesn't even understand the forces at play that day- even less does he understand himself.
One thing the patriarchy is always very good at- condemning and punishment. Brandon is charged with 'murder, with hate crime and firearms enhancements- 25 years inprisonment, with an additional 25 years for the 'enhancements'.
And just where is the redemption in all this legal efficiency?
Is anyone even speaking with the boy- because a boy is what he is?
Is anyone ministering to his fear, his pain and witnessing to the unconditional love of Christ Jesus for him personally- a love beyond his 'wildest imagening'?
Is anyone even trying to understand what he was feeling and thinking?
Anyone showing him how he's been duped by the frightened lies of a bunch of impotent bullies?
All you gay saints and martyrs pray for Brandon David Mc Inerney.
Amen.
1 comment:
RE: "Father Mychal Judge, pray for us,"
and Church hierarchy:
Most of us first heard of Father Mychal Judge, the late New York fire chaplain and "saint of 9/11", from that iconic photo of his body being carried from Ground Zero.
Yet even prior to his heroic death on 9/11, Father Mychal was widely seen by many New Yorkers as a living saint for his deep spirituality and his extraordinary work not only with firefighters -- but also with the homeless, recovering alcoholics, people with AIDS, immigrants, gays and lesbians, and others rejected by society.
Father Mychal was also openly gay, though celibate. He blessed and supported committed gay relationships asking, “Is there so much love in the world that we can afford to discriminate against any kind of love ?”
This often annoyed the church hierarchy. But like his spiritual father St. Francis of Assisi, Mychal reported directly to a Higher Authority, as evidenced by several miraculous healings through him.
Mychal also urged us, "Don't let the church get in the way of your relationship with God."
For further information on Father Mychal, you are welcome to visit:
http://SaintMychalJudge.blogspot.com
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