The Challenge of Pursuing Justice

This cartoon by my friend David Hayward, who posts his blogs and cartoons over at nakedpastor.com, captures the tension and emotion I’ve been trying to process in light of several recent realities.

Many of you will be aware of the online petitions that madly circulated the last few days of the Ugandan parliament deliberations. The dreaded anti-homosexuality bill that had been simmering in the background for the last couple years was front and centre with a very real possibility of it being passed into law. For those of us who have been following these developments, who have prayed and interceded with tears for LGBT people in Uganda, this was our nightmare. And we were grateful for the hundreds of thousands of people who typed their name in solidarity with those calling for the only humane response to this bill: its defeat. There was a triumphant media blitz proclaiming just such defeat when the parliament did not have time to vote on this and a few other controversial bills. But perhaps others, like myself, who are close to these issues, who have followed it when it wasn’t in the spotlight, felt a sense of unease with the dramatic proclamations of victory. For me, this unease came with knowing that no change had been accomplished in this turn of events. Life is still hell for LGBT people in Uganda and other parts of Africa and the world. Hearts had not changed. Minds hadn’t even been changed. And with the bill out of the spotlight, what action would the hundreds of thousands of people who signed their names take on behalf of LGBT people who face oppression and injustice? This unease became more tangible with the report that the bill will return to the 9th parliament of Uganda when it is convened.

Some of you may have also followed the controversy that has surrounded Jim Wallis and his Sojourners organization. Sojourners has been working for social justice for decades. They have managed to build relationships and credibility across a wide swath of the Christian community in their fight against poverty and racism. To many, it would seem a no brainer that Sojourner would be an appropriate place to run an ad that advocated a hospitable welcome to LGBT people. So, when Sojo’s turned down the Believe Out Loud request to run their video in their advertising sidebar, many were shocked, confused and felt a sense of betrayal.



The video, itself, seems to be advocating a message that any follower of Jesus should be able to support. The organization who created the video, however, does have a clear position stated as: A partnership of the country’s leading LGBT advocacy groups, both religious and secular, Believe Out Loud seeks to accelerate the existing Christian movement toward LGBT inclusion and significantly increase the number of local churches and denominations that are fully-inclusive of LGBT individuals, both in practice and policy. In doing so, we seek to create a widespread Christian movement for LGBT equality in the church and in broader society.

This clear goal of advancing towards LGBT inclusion and equality will be interpreted by many with a traditional sexual ethic as inconsistent with their understanding of Scripture’s guidance on these matters. And here’s the rub for Sojo – they have deliberately sought to not align with one position or another on LGBT matters because of the polarizing effect that would have on their desire to mobilize their constituency on matters of poverty and race. Bottom line is – their ability to steward influence and raise money for the advocacy issues they have prioritized would be compromised by aligning with one side of the polarized debate on LGBT matters. The question is, how can you advocate for dignity and justice for one group – and seemingly ignore the need for dignity and justice for another? To adapt the words of Desmond Tutu, if I diminish the need for justice for one group, I diminish the pursuit of justice for all groups.

Now some will argue that advocating for hospitality for LGBT people in the church is not a justice issue – because they do not even acknowledge the reality of LGBT people (aka – there are no homosexual people, only heterosexual people with a homosexual problem). Others will refer to the vague, fear-based notion of ‘the gay agenda’. And inevitably, people with such perspectives are unlikely to want to engage in dialogue seeking common ground. Thus the power plays and politics and boycotts rule the day. And the ideal gives way to priorities made in the mess and frustration of reality. Do you sacrifice justice for a small minority group in order to continue to garner influence for the betterment of a larger marginalized group? At what point is your internal integrity at stake because at a foundational level it is the value of our shared humanity that is compromised when we need to sacrifice justice for one group for another?

Lest anyone think these are simple and clear-cut decisions, I’d urge all of us to refrain from quick judgments and pronouncements. The complexity and paradoxes and systems that inform these matters confound the wise and experienced and principled and active. If anything, such challenge ought to humble us.

It has led me to ponder, again, the distinction between activism and advocacy. In previous posts, I’ve suggested that activism is about issues and advocacy is about people. I’m not sure if that would be a universally held distinction – but it has helped me. To add to this, I think activism calls for a holy impatience. Activists are motivated by an incredible sense of urgency. They want to get things DONE. I might suggest that advocates are actually called to cultivate patience. They know that the process of heart and mind change is slow. They know systems don’t change overnight. They understand that the ideal of all issues being equal rarely is workable in the chaotic reality of working towards paradigmatic change. We need activists. And we need advocates. And sometimes the two are not going to understand each other and might even see their work at odds with each other. But I think we will all benefit when we see the role each plays. And some are called to the huge challenge of embodying both activism and advocacy and living in the tension of holy impatience while cultivating patience. They need our prayers and our support - for that is not an easy road to travel.

But none of this theorizing relieves the LGBT person sitting in an African prison, in conditions we in the west can’t even imagine. It doesn’t help the lesbian who is struggling to overcome the trauma of corrective rape. It doesn’t change the desperation of a homeless LGBT youth who is getting to the point of turning to prostitution to survive. It doesn’t silence the bully. It doesn’t reverse job discrimination. It doesn’t nullify prejudice of landlords refusing LGBT tenants.

And ignoring these matters, or justifying our complacency because there are more pressing issues, or telling LGBT to just hang in there these things will be addressed eventually is unacceptable and inconsistent with the character of Christ. Even for those who oppose civil rights for LGBT people, let them hear these words of Miroslav Volf, “Reject the love of enemy, and you undo the Christian faith”.

In times when it is easy to be overwhelmed by the largeness and complexity of the issues, remember that change comes one step at a time. Begin by making more room in your own heart for those who differ from you. Be that intercessor who stands in the gap. Have that conversation in your church about becoming more tangibly hospitable to anyone from your neighbourhood. Train yourself to remember that the diminishment of any human being diminishes you – and so catch yourself when the judgmental thought comes, that look of disdain crosses your face, that desire to avoid rises up in your heart. Speak out at your work place or school when you hear language that excludes or demeans. Read that link your LGBT friend sends you. Don’t tune out. Don’t forget. Don’t distract yourself. Stay present – and in being present be the change you want to see.

-WG

Personhood

To what extent does our experience of sexuality interact with our sense of personhood? This is a question that has come up in conversation and times of reflection. As I navigate the variety of ways this conversation around faith and sexuality is articulated in different parts of the Christian community, I often encounter what has increasingly seemed to me to be a reductionistic view of sexuality.

When people talk about same-sex oriented people there are a number of ways this reductionism emerges. Some people would refute the idea of same-sex orientation altogether. In their minds, the experience of same-sex attraction is something that is triggered by predisposing factors - and once those predisposing factors have been dealt with, the individual should be free to move towards a redeemed (i.e. heterosexual) sexuality. This may be what some individuals experience - though it may be argued that they did not have a same-sex orientation to begin with. But it does not fit the experience of all those who experience predominant and persistant same-sex attraction.

Others view same-sex orientation primarily or solely through the lens of sexualized attraction. While they may differentiate between orientation and sexual behaviour in theory, often these lines get blurred to the point that as they talk about gay individuals assumptions about sexual activity emerge. Or there is the sense that the sexualized element overshadows any other aspects of that person's sexual identity.

One pastor told me that his understanding was that gay men lacked the potential for committed monogomy in their partnerships. He hadn't encountered any people who had demonstrated anything different to him - but by his own account he did not know any Christian gay couples. From others, I regularly hear presumptions about sexual behaviour that seem outlandish and therefore carry the perception of being particularly immoral.

For those who have relational experience with gay friends or family members, there may be a more nuanced understanding that same-sex sexuality is not just about sex. There is a recognition that there are psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of this experience of sexual identity. They know that their same-sex attracted friends long to be completed by a partner of the same gender in a more wholistic sense than merely a physical sexual relationship. They perhaps glimpse that same-sex sexuality is a unique way of navigating the world of people and relationships regardless of whether an individual is in a same-sex relationship or sexuallly active or not. Inherent in these glimpses is the intuitive sense that the manner in which an individual expresses themselves, creatively, through humour, and other forms of self-expression including worship, cannot be divorced from the reality that they are same-sex oriented. Such friends would sense that if their same-sex attracted friends needed to hide or be silent about this aspect of themselves, they may well lose connection to essential aspects of themselves.

Such an understanding can be hard to articulate in conversation with other Christians who are confident and certain that same-sex sexuality is nothing more than a deception, a charade, or a rebellion against God's created order. Some hold the opinion that an individual who honestly describes themselves as gay should receive no encouragement, resources or support in living an authentic expression of their sexuality (we are not speaking here about sexual relationships - but only about the honest disclosure of experiencing the reality of a same-sex orientation). Others believe that such withdrawal of care is harmful to a same-sex oriented individual. These two different perspectives tend to be very polarized and distrustful of the other. It can be a real challenge to find common ground where there is such a basic disagreement about the withdrawal or the offering of encouragement and support.

This is where a lot of disconnection happens in the current conversations around faith and sexuality. Ironically, such disconnection isn't even about the question of the appropriateness of same-sex relationships. It is something much more intrinsic, intimate and personal. And that is the disagreement over whether there should be acknowledgement, validation and honouring of the reality of same-sex orientation and the influence it has on an individual's sense of personhood or whether such validation should be discouraged for fear it will reinforce a state of being that is inconsistent with God's design.

To complicate matters further, different individuals have different experiences with being same-sex attracted. For some, not being validated was, in their minds, a good thing. For them, same-sex attraction seemed to be significantly attached to traumas and deficits - and with the experience of healing and resolution, such individuals found that same-sex attraction ceased being a dominant factor in their sense of self.

For others, however, lack of acknowledgement and space to express honestly their sense of personhood as intimately connected with their experience of same-sex orientation caused great harm. Some recount a sense of becoming shut-down in their emotions - unable to feel much of anything - and losing touch with any sense of desire, creativity or joy. Many describe simply going through the motions in worship and times of prayer - no longer able to connect intimately with God. It is not uncommon to hear accounts of profound depression and suicidal ideation or attempts.

So, what are we to conclude? What is the best approach? Our experience at New Direction tells us that the best approach is to encounter each person as a unique individual. To provide a safe and spacious environment in which they can express, as honestly as possible, where they are at in experiencing their sexuality as part of the bigger picture of who they are. Such honest expression ought not be feared. Inevitably, each individual still needs to wrestle with what their convictions will be about involvement in relationship and the expression of sexual intimacy. But we believe that people will be in a much better position to actually do such wrestling when they feel that they have had the autonomy to express their sense of sexuality and personhood without judgement or the assumption of externally imposed definitions.

Such an approach requires patience - for this isn't a quick process. It requires humility - for no one can step into another's skin and define their personhood for them. It requires gentleness - for such intimate knowing is a vulnerable and sensitive place. It requires encouragement - for we are created to be in relationship, called to love and support one another, and fashioned to be interdependent as expressions of God's love and acceptance one to another. And it requires trust - for it is the Holy Spirit who teaches, corrects and helps us to journey towards maturity in faith and obedience.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. Ps. 139: 13, 14

Note: this article was previously published in the Summer 2011 edition of Pathway, the newsletter of New Direction. If you do not receive this quarterly communication but would like to, please email info(at)newdirection.ca

-WG

The Space Between

This idea of "the space between" is something I've been pondering for a while. Terri, who did some initial work on our arts initiative, coined the phrase as the title for our upcoming new arts website. The thought was of the space between you and the frame (ie. the frame around a painting)- the space where you consider your own interpretation, your own imagination, the ways your own creativity, emotions and spirit are inspired by the art within the frame. This space is the space for community - for shared conversation, for connection and collaboration. It is also the space in which we have the opportunity to honour the Image of the Creator in ourselves and others. This space between is a powerful place - a place bursting with potentiality.

But beyond the arts initiative, this picture of the space between has captivated me. This past Easter weekend, I spent time reflecting on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Friday or Sunday - these are the days we tend to focus on - at least us less-liturgical protestants. But Holy Saturday is the day that marks most of my life. Most of my life is somewhere between the pain and agony of Good Friday and the joyful victory of Easter Sunday. I live in the space between.

I wrote this the other day - and thought it might touch some of you too:

The space between is the place we weep…

It lies between painful reality

and actions we would regret.

It calls to us and haunts us by its inaccessibility…

it beckons as a beacon of hope.

This space between is unpredictable at best

it is the place we are simply called to be.

Only the courageous and valiant persevere

in its pursuit -

this space between.

After chaotic battles of mind and heart

of tradition, of expectation, of legislation

The weary warrior caught in paradox

falls to bowed knees and weeps

for what else can she do but be.

-WG

Doctoral Studies, Reflective Practitioners & Pastor's Live Stream Event

As some of you know, I started work on my doctorate degree last week. I’ve always loved to learn and I am excited after 12 years to be back in school. It is a three – four year program of studies that are meant to coincide with continuing on in your ministry position. So while I will continue with my work through New Direction, I hope to be rejuvenated and challenged in the course of my studies as well. My thesis project, while likely to undergo some refinement yet, will focus on building a model for congregations and Christian organizations to move towards a posture of generous spaciousness. This posture is intended to aid faith communities in acknowledging diversity in their midst and embracing the spiritually formational opportunity of learning to embrace the tensions such diversity inevitably creates. These tensions include, but are not limited to, those between the autonomy of the individual and the call into community; the power of conviction and the humility by which we hold such conviction; the willingness to endure being misunderstood and not taking offense; the reality of different expressions of faithful discipleship; and the diverse priorities of people in the conversations integrating faith and sexuality.

There is nothing new under the sun. So I don’t expect to be developing anything that hasn’t already been worked on in other contexts. However, it is my hope that work on such a model will give pastors and leaders concrete support in shepherding their communities through the landmines of tension and diversity in a manner that is pastorally faithful and helpful and that ultimately builds up and strengthens the Body of Christ both within its fellowship and in its mission to their context.

The first week was mainly a time of orientation and getting to know our cohort learning group. But already, in a few of the sessions I could feel the excitement of applying some of my learning to this area of engagement I am so passionately committed to. One of the comments of the director of the program was about educating the reflective practitioner. This is the intention of the program I am in – taking those with ministry experience, encouraging them to reflect on their experiences, and deepening their insight through further education and application.

In educating the reflective practitioner there are three stages of growth. In the first, the practitioner reflects on a given action. In the second, there is a knowing in action. And in the third, there is reflection in action. What this means is that initially, a practitioner does something and afterwards, hopefully, reflects on it. This builds towards the second stage where the practitioner takes the reflection and uses it as knowledge in their subsequent action. Finally, this experience becomes like second nature in allowing the practitioner to respond with discernment in action. A concrete example would be a pastor who encounters an LGBT person in their congregation or neighbourhood context. In those encounters they do the best they can to converse in a manner that is consistent with their values for ministry. Inevitably, as they reflect on these encounters there will be some learnings and understanding that they are able to add to their ministry experience. At this stage, they may realize some deficits in their ability to navigate these conversations and reach out for some additional input and help from such resources as websites, other pastors with more experience, books etc. Then in subsequent encounters, this pastor will be able to bring some of that experience into their conversations. Finally, after having many such encounters and conversations, they will be able to be responsive to individual and unique needs because their general reflection and knowledge gathering will have prepared and equipped them for such discernment. It struck me as I sat listening to this general description of educating the reflective practitioner, that for many pastors they simply don’t experience enough encounters with LGBT people to move through these stages. They don’t have enough experience and knowledge to get to the stage of being reflective IN action. Not only that, but I have encountered a lot of pastors who presume that they know enough to be reflective in action. They have some gay friends, have read some books on the topic, and feel like they know what they need to know. Unfortunately, given the degree of complexity and uniqueness of each individual journey, such presumption limits the pastoral effectiveness of being able to be responsive. It also means that for many pastors it is difficult to really be aware of the context of their own beliefs and feelings, to critique or deconstruct personal assumptions, and to assess alternative perspectives without interference from their beliefs, feelings and assumptions. This kind of reflective process happens when a practitioner has had the opportunity to reflect on action through varied experiences, to apply knowledge (from both reflection and accessing resources) in additional ministry experiences, and finally to be responsive (uncoloured by their own assumptions or feelings) in diverse experiences.

What does this mean? Well, it would be helpful if more people were able to be honest and upfront with their pastors about the reality of same-sex attraction in their lives. I understand that it does not always feel safe to do so or that the demonstrated consequences hinder such disclosure. However, the only way that pastors will move towards becoming reflective IN action is if they have the opportunity to engage different people with different experiences and move towards a non-threatened, open, generous capacity to respond without assumptions, feelings and rigidness affecting their response. Note – being reflective IN action does not presume a particular theological position. It is simply describing a pastor who will have the capacity to embody humble generosity in walking with an LGBT person. So if more people came out to their pastor – then more pastors would grow in being able to respond well. That’s kind of a no-brainer – but also somewhat idealistic.

It also means that pastors need to realize that to grow in their effectiveness to engage in this area of ministry, they need to open their lives and hearts to more LGBT people. It isn’t just gay people who need to come out – it is the pastors who need to step out and invest their lives in friendship with LGBT folks.

Pastors, generally speaking, need to be a bit more humble about the need for more experience in this area and not hide behind excuses of being too busy, or knowing everything they need to know because they have 2 gay friends and have read “Love is an Orientation”. While it is understandable that many pastors are busy people, being teachable, open and eager to grow in experience should be a base-line posture when considering this area of ministry.

It also means that more resources need to be made available that are relational and narratival in nature. The truth is, not every pastor is going to have the opportunity to grow through personal experience pastoring LGBT people. But they can benefit from hearing other pastors’ experiences and even more from the first hand accounts of LGBT Christians navigating journeys of faith in community with the church.

This is why New Direction is sponsoring a FREE live stream event on Tuesday, June 21 at 2:00 pm EST. I will be hosting a panel of three other pastors as we engage video interviews with a number of gay Christians. The first hour will be facilitated discussion with the panel – then the second hour will be engaging the questions and comments from those who are joining us online. We want this to be a time set aside for reflection on action. We also hope it will be a time for some new knowledge that can be applied. And we hope to benefit from those who have journeyed the road long enough to be reflective in action. This means we will hear about personal transformation as attitudes and assumptions have been critiqued, various perspectives considered, and a willingness to risk and engage modeled.

The pastors on our panel will be:

Mark Tidd ~

Mark is the pastor of Highlands Church in Denver, CO. He and Highlands made the decision to become an affirming and inclusive church at significant cost. Since that decision Highlands has grown, has a vibrant sense of mission, and embodies hospitality to all people.

Michelle Top ~

Michelle is co-pastor with her husband Ed at the Lantern Church in Calgary, AB. Michelle lives an incarnational model of ministry as she lives, works, plays and participates in her local neighbourhood. Along the way, God has brought lots of LGBT friends into Michelle’s life and she finds herself navigating some of the inevitable tensions of grassroots ministry in a larger denominational context.

Pernell Goodyear ~

Pernell is teaching pastor at Hillside Church in London, ON. Pernell spent ten years building a missional community in downtown Hamilton where people from all walks of life found a place to belong. Pernell has experience across denominations, is a coach for planters, and facilitates learning through the Cultivate network.


The live stream event will be just one part of the filming we do with this group and the 20 gay Christians I had the joy of interviewing. We’ll spend the rest of the day filming additional segments with the final result being New Direction’s next DVD project.

Please consider joining us for this FREE live stream event. You can use this Facebook event to stay updated on current details, to RSVP, AND to let others in your networks know about this opportunity. Spread the word and contribute to increasing the level of reflection on and in action so that we can all participate in nurturing safe and spacious places for LGBT people to explore and grow in faith in Jesus Christ.

-WG