Grace in a fast moving world

I take personal pride in being a reader. I regularly read Christian Century. I also read Christianity Today. I have read some copies of First Things. Add Sojourners. These four publications do not cover the full range of Christian publications, but do indicate that I appreciate the differing opinion. I am also a long-time reader of The Advocate. I suspect that most of my readers have never heard of the publication.

The Advocate is THE publication of the gay world. The quality of the reporters and writers for The Advocate is tops. I would compare its quality to Sports Illustrated or Time. The Advocate is not published as often as Time and SI and is not found at your grocery checkout stand. I love the publication because it exposes me to a different perspective of which I need to be aware. My entire knowledge of the gay phenomenon is entirely second hand. I am not gay. To my knowledge I have no gay siblings, children or grandchildren. I have learned a lot from The Advocate.

My learning about gay people began over 45 years ago, when I came to the realization that I had gay members in my congregation. I learned that hurting parents and close friends of gay persons were also in the worshipping congregation every Sunday. My understanding of the Christian gospel did not allow me to reject or condemn. I became an ardent learner. Among my fellow clergy I found no like-minded partners. I was on my own, and very alone in my heresy.

I am amazed how rapidly acceptance of gay people has grown in our churches. In some denominations ordination of gay persons is common. But we have a long way to go.

Along my journey I became heavily involved in PFLAG. It is not a gay organization. The movement is made up of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. I served for several years on the national board of PFLAG. Working in the PFLAG organization, I found that I was peculiar. I was not the parent of a gay child and I did not come to my commitments through a friend. I was the pastor of a church, who was seeking inclusion and justice for people who happened to be gay.

I made a lot of new friends during my active work in PFLAG. Many were like me in that they had long histories of involvements in churches. I became close friends with Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Southern Baptists, Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jews, Pentecostals, Evangelicals of a broad variety, and a host of church dropouts. The tie that bound them all together was a simple fact. They each and every one had a gay child. They all knew their children were normal, whole people who lived under absurd rejection by the majority of the population, including their churches.

They were just like me. They were on a journey of learning and mind-changing.

In the April/May edition of The Advocate, Editor-in-Chief, Matthew Breen wrote a compelling editorial in the context of the 2016 presidential elections. Two candidates have made clear statements of support for gay rights, full acceptance and inclusion of gay persons in every aspect of American life, and gay marriage. The two are Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Breen points out that while their more recent statements are encouraging, they do not square with their past actions and words. They have changed their minds. Can the present gay population embrace these candidates considering their past? Both are “Johnny come latelies.”

In his editorial Breen writes about the case of Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman from Ohio. In the past Portman had been adamantly opposed to gay marriage. He suddenly changed his mind. His 21-year-old son came out of his closet and publicly claimed his gay identity. Was this a great move forward for gay people in Ohio? If his son’s public declaration was so important to Portman, why was not the witness of tens of thousands of other Ohio gay people of their gay orientation? Does Portman’s change indicate that he has a sense of justice only when it involves his own family?

Breen comes to a profound Christian moment. The entire country is moving. Joe Biden, John Kerry, and Barack Obama have all had to change their minds. In fact mind changing has been a common experience of almost every public figure that now offers leadership in the ongoing struggle for full rights and acceptance of gay persons in our society. To get on to our future together, the past must be put in the past. In the writings of Christian Apostle Paul, he admonishes us to forget the things of the past so that we can press on to fulfill the high calling of God in Christ. Without overwhelming grace, the Christian religion is stale garbage.

I find a special irony in Breen’s offer of grace to people who have caused so much pain for gay people. A gay leader offering grace and forgiveness to religious clergy and leaders, who have caused so much pain, is one of society’s greatest turnarounds.

I recall the words of Jesus as he hung on the cross. He looked at his murderers and prayed “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” I recall also something about 70 times 7.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.