Awareness Sunday

October 6, 1996

A Sermon by Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

We began with a few words from our fearless leader, Malissa, and then we went around the room and introduced ourselves. There were a number of new graduate students, a few first-year students who were a little hesitant, and then some seniors introduced themselves with well-earned nonchalance, a few allies, a stray dean, a pair of students who had wandered over from the seminary, and last but not least our wonderful new intern, Michelle. Each of us told our name, our connection, a few told coming-out stories, a few told why they had not, and while we were sharing with one another, the pianist for the Asian Christian Prayer fellowship that was meeting upstairs began to play the hymn Fairest Lord Jesus. I have always loved that hymn and she played it beautifully, quietly, hauntingly.

Perhaps no one else noticed it, but for me it served as a reminder of my deepest faith that whenever we are gathered together to support and strengthen one another, to seek justice and reach out to those in need, Jesus is among us. The Spirit of God is present, as promised, whenever we do the work of Love.

Upstairs the Asian Christians were doing the work of Love, the work of God. Downstairs the Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Alliance was doing the work of Love, the work of God, and the hymn bound us together, at least in my heart.

And then the hymn ended and downstairs in the Café, we went onto the practical details of planning Awareness Week, working on the finances and filling vacant positions, and I imagine the Asian Christian Fellowship upstairs went ahead to its business of planning programs, working on finances and filling positions. But for a brief shining moment in the Murray Dodge Café, I had the sweet vision of God's intention, that all are welcome in God's community, as God's children, made in God's image and rather than divided upstairs/downstairs, rather than divided, we were one.

The truth is, of course, otherwise. We are divided still. The Christian Church down through the long years, through misrepresentation and misinterpretation of scripture, peppered with a good dose of homophobia and heterosexism, has sought to exclude, demean, and diminish the lesbian and gay community and worse. Christians have used the Bible as a billy club.

But in the past few decades, many Christian communities have come to recognize the churches' sin of mean spirited exclusion. These communities have sought repentance. They have studied the scriptures carefully in the context of this age and the latest scholarship. We have prayed for forgiveness and mobilized ourselves on behalf of the LGB community.

There are caucuses and coalitions that run across all the denominations of the mainline church. The Catholic group calls itself Dignity, the Episcopal group, Integrity. The Lutherans are Concerned and the Methodists, Reconciling. The Presbyterians are no-nonsense Gay and Lesbians Concerned and the Evangelicals have formed a coalition too. And there are specific congregations that have named themselves More Light, Open and Affirming, Reconciling, to welcome all in an open fashion. Together we are marching in the light of God, we are moving in the love of God. The University chapel is one such community.

For we know Jesus did not say anything about homosexuality. Not one thing. In that little red-lettered edition of the New Testament which your great aunt gave you when your were confirmed, you will not find one red word about being gay or being lesbian.

What Jesus did have a lot to say about was love and justice and mercy, beckoning us to seek out especially the little and the left out, the low down and the unloved. Jesus welcomed children into the circle and tax-collectors. Jesus welcome women as apostles and 12 working class folk as disciples. Jesus carried with him that conviction that God's love is radically inclusive and that sin is the exclusion of some from the rest.

Therefore Jesus had little patience with pomposity, the Sadducees the Pharisees and the lawyers, and I think Jesus enjoyed exposing them when they tried to trip him up. But Jesus knew God's love included even those "holier-than-thou stick to the letter of the law" type ministers of the day, so when they asked him what is the greatest commandment of all, his response was direct: "to love God with all your heart and soul and mind" and the second is like it, "love your neighbor as yourself." Love and Justice. Love boundless and flowing free, justice overflowing and complete. That's the heart of the gospel, love and justice and mercy.

And the new Christian communities proclaim that the two verses from the Leviticus Holiness Code which ban homosexuality and the three references in Paul do not amount to a hill of beans when compared to how Jesus taught and lived and loved. It's why Jesus told the parables of the lost coin which is a treasure and the lost sheep which is beloved and the prodigal's return to whom the Father came running because Jesus knew God's joy was not complete without each one of God's children home. It is a matter of love and justice and mercy. God wants everybody at the party.

And we're the ones God has chosen to write the invitations, send along directions and welcome everyone, "come in, come in." We're the ones God has chosen to prepare the feast, provide the party favors, keep the dancing lively, "does everybody have a partner?" God's love is utterly inclusive.

We're the ones God has chosen, how will you respond?

One student responded by working at Quilombo this past summer, a community dedicated to the well being of lesbian and gay youth. You are aware I trust that there is a high percentage of suicides among this population, a high percentage of addiction, and a rising of the number of AIDS cases in the youth population. Being an adolescent is tough enough without having to add the pressure of trying to build self-esteem and fit into a world that spits in your face and calls you fag. Suman spent the summer laying the foundations for Operation PLAY Pride Love Advocacy for Youth, "for those gay youth who are runaway, throwaway and homeless but also for those who run to alcohol and drugs and toward suicide. "The thing that stands out most for me", Suman wrote in his final evaluation, "is the interaction in the community. During the summer I had a chance to be part of church services and outreach programs and youth conferences. I met people from all walks of life each of whom had a story to impart and wisdom to share. Hearing the stories of some of the people I met this summer was incredibly difficult. They had been through so much. So I want everyone member of the community who remembers the struggles associated with being 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 to do something to help younger members of our community. I want the cycle of loss a nd despair to stop."

We are the ones God has chosen.

We're the ones God has chosen to stop the cycle of loss and despair, the ones God has chosen because we are aware.

How will you respond to your awareness of God's love? You might begin by being especially generous in the morning offering which is going to further the work of Quilombo. Then you might come hear Tony Kushner tomorrow afternoon. Mr. Kushner is the Tony award winning playwright and acclaimed author of Angels in America, and he is going to address issues of sexuality, identity, politics, and religion. You might choose to attend a panel or the movie.

And for God's sake, please wear jeans on Friday, the National Coming Out Day when wearing jeans says you are for the civil rights of lesbians and gays. Don't get bogged down in the pettiness that sometimes surfaces on this campus, the semantics. Wear jeans, be a pal, show you're a friend.

I want you to know that it has meant the world to me to be included in the struggle with gay and lesbian and bisexual students and staff and faculty on this campus, the struggle to help the university make good on its policy of non-discrimination which was re-written in 1981 to include sexual orientation; to be part of the struggle to get an office, a library, a budget, a task force, benefits for domestic partners, a graduate assistant, an intern. It's meant the world to me to be invited to the dances at Terrace, "come on, Sue Anne, come on, come in, you're not too old." And it's meant the world to me to be asked to bless holy unions, covenants between two who are pledging a lifetime of faithfulness. And of course we've formed friendships along the way, bonds strong as gold and more precious, friends who have rolled their eyes at some of my misinformed notions, who have been patient with me and forgiving. What a good time we've had, and only God knows what good times we have in store, what we have ahead. There's so much left to do.

We're the ones God has chosen, all of us together are chosen, made in God's image, God's joy would not be complete without us. Come to the table now, to enjoy the feast that God has prepared. Amen.