Jesus' Anti-Kingdom

What Christianity seems to have become is quite the opposite of what Jesus taught and demonstrated. When Jesus spoke of the “Kingdom of God,” he was really talking about the leveling of power, not the dominance of a new religious sect over others. When Jesus’ followers called him “Lord,” they did so to mock the unjust reign of Caesar, not to replace Caesar with a pope. When Jesus called God “Father,” it was not to reinforce patriarchy or to say that God’s nature is male; it was to shame such an unjust institution by showing men what true love was about. Modern minds don’t get how Jesus turned his world upside-down because we have been taught to take Scripture at face value. Not only is deeper study important, it is essential to understanding. Jesus was as much a lord in his day as a drag queen is an actual queen today! But in my humble opinion, drag queens do more for the cause of Christ today than actual monarchs-- sometimes called by titles such as “President” and “Prime Minister” these days. Jesus subverted the status quo. To follow him is to do the same, no matter when in history you live.

Early Affirmations

I will never forget wearing my mother's slips as dresses, putting on her wig, makeup, costume jewelry, and pumps, and dancing around my parents' bedroom at 4 and 5 years old. I didn't learn that behavior from any friends or from television- it just came naturally as a fun kind of play. Unfortunately I was severely shamed by my father who I'm sure was just afraid that his only son would have a hard time in a non-accepting world. I was caught on many occasions, but kept playing this game that gave me such joy. I continue to play this game into adulthood with no shame! I didn't know the word "gay" as a child except within the context of the sick men on TV dying of AIDS. It was Ellen Degeneres coming out on her sitcom that allowed me to say, "Hey, that's me!" I then continually watched Will & Grace so I would have some sort of a gay role model in my teen years. I thank God that we have made such progress now that LGBT people can be found regularly on TV in positive light so that children can better self-identify. But media isn't enough. We need affirming parents who will not steal the joy their children find in discovering who they are.

Remember Galatians 3:28

If you think your church is "progressive," "welcoming," or "open and affirming," I ask you: Would your church welcome leather-folk in full gear? Gender variant people who you may not be able to tell what pronouns to use with them? Polyamorous families (more than two partners in relationship)? These are all beautiful expressions of what God has called "good." Can you truly follow the judgment-free teachings of Jesus or do you choose to only welcome those you feel comfortable putting in a token box? Accepting gay and lesbian people in the church is great- but it's not radical anymore. The radical Gospel of Jesus Christ is this: In Christ you are no longer man or woman, straight or gay, monogamous or polyamorous, vanilla or kinky... No: you are One.

Sticks and Stones

A colleague in ministry posed the question: "We’ve all heard the children’s rhyme, “Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” but... is it true? Really?"

My response:
If we don't have a good sense of self-love, we are left vulnerable to the damage of words. The more we realize and teach others that people only hurt others out of their own pain and that we should never take anything personally, we will gain inner damage. Let's not forget how people's comments may remind us negatively of those who raised us. So no, it's not true; words can hurt us-- that is as long as we accept their poison. The many who have taken their own lives as a result of bullying probably didn't have the people in their lives to affirm their sacred value, or the negative inner voices were just too loud and too engrained. If we do recite the "sticks and stones" rhyme and teach it to our children, it should be framed as an affirmation that we choose for the words to not hurt us. That is the meaning of salvation after all- we are saved from these messages that have the potential of putting us in a living hell.

Thought of the day

Good works do get you into heaven after all. Don't get me wrong- I don't believe in "works righteousness"- that a Santa Clause-like god sits on a cloud keeping track of our deeds. Rather, if Heaven is right where we are, we live into it more and more by the good works we give wholeheartedly. Heaven is yours today as you continue the flow of divine supply through your life. Give with abandon (and of course with self-respect) and see what possibilities are opened to you!

Happy Mardi Gras!!

(French: mardi=Tuesday, gras=fat). Traditionally, it is the feast before the 40 day fast of Lent in the Christian tradition. If you feel the need to give up chocolate or something, go right ahead. But I challenge you to give up something that will actually change your life. Try giving up thoughts of self-hatred, self-pity, and low self-esteem. Try giving up opinions you know very well are sexist, racist, classist, homophobic, or transphobic. See in 40 days how little you miss them and how much more you love yourself and your siblings in the human family :)

The Irony of Science and Faith

Isn't it ironic that in the modern age, Christianity has become anti-science, and in its legalism has become a science itself. Our faith should be more of an art than a science. Let's worry less about whether we have the facts right and care more about the authenticity of our truths. After all, living our truths is the key to happiness and satisfaction.