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Please read both panels above
Welcome back to Part 17 of A History of Incompatibility. In this series, we explore the development of Christian beliefs around human sexuality, particularly as it relates to present church schisms over LGBTQ inclusion. If you are just now joining the story, I recommend going back and starting at Part 1.
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For this entire project, I’ve been using an argument style designed off of John Wesley’s abolitionist tract: Thoughts Upon Slavery. John Wesley is a key founder of the Methodist movement, someone who inspires both conservative, moderate, and progressive Christians today as we wrestle to live faithfully into a life of grace and holiness. In his time, the church broadly used scripture to theologically reinforce beliefs around white supremacy and the divine blessing of the chattel slavery of African people. Instead of directly challenging popular “clobber” passages, Wesley simply presented the evidence of lived reality, and connected it to what he believed were the larger messages and intentions of Scripture.
I have heard pretty hard-hearted arguments from unaffirming Christians that a gay or trans person’s lived experience is irrelevant. Nevertheless, I insist that we take time to seriously consider the lived experience of people who are different from us, and I believe this approach is firmly rooted in the early Christian movement. The apostles respected Scripture and tradition. John Wesley respected Scripture and tradition. They believed in holiness, or sanctification, the growing in love of God and neighbor more and more over a lifetime. AND they used their brains (their reason) to reevaluate their previously held beliefs when they witnessed the lived experience of people different from them.
I have intentionally been using baptismal waters imagery through this theological section of our story, because I fiercely believe and advocate for the deep connection we have to Christ when we are baptized and believe. Baptism unites us uniquely to the Body of Christ in a way that is different from universal prevenient grace. We often call this justifying faith, it’s the belief that Jesus is who he says he is, and that this changes everything. Justifying faith happens when we trust that God’s love for us is so real, every sin has been washed away, forgiveness and resurrection life re-establishes us in the world as ambassadors for Christ. We are given a mission of reconciliation, of making things right. Of healing. Of loving compassionately the way Christ does.
We trust the lived experience of those first disciples. We trust the lived experience of the Jerusalem Council, where Gentiles were first welcomed as Christians and the rules were changed. Many of us are Christians today because we trust the lived experience of people from our faith community. Many of us are Christians today because we trust our own lived experience. Why else would we say “I was lost but now I’m found,” unless we felt it in our bones? Why else would we confess “I was blind but now I see,” unless we experienced it?
I’m making a turn here in my theological argument. For the last few pages, I’ve reflected on baptism, incarnation, and the lived reality that many LGBTQ+ people have already accepted Christ, are called by God into ministry, and are finding blessing in being their full authentic selves. On the flip side, many LGBTQ+ Christians are finding death, despair, and self-harm when they are rejected and repressed by the church. This is the reality of 10s of thousands of people. The statistics provided in the comic this week come from a helpful HRC article called The Lies and Dangers of Efforts to Change Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity. I recommend you take some time to learn more about these lived realities.
The final panel this week moves us from baptismal imagery to Eucharistic imagery, meaning Holy Communion. Lest any of my detractors think I am building up a cheap grace, the next few pages of the story will begin to explore what it means for LGBTQ+ Christians to sit at the table of Christ with everyone else. Salvation in Christ was never a get-out-of-hell-free card. It has always been about the freedom and empowerment God gives us to grow in love, to grow in the mind/attitude of Christ, to see ourselves necessarily belonging to one another through the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for reading this far. I recognize that not all of my readers agree with me, and I have been so grateful for my siblings in Christ who have disagreed with me respectfully. We’ll see you again next week.