I grew up in a kind of curious family situation. I was born to a mother and father who divorced before I came home from the hospital. I was raised as an infant by my mother and her mother and her older sister and her husband. My first sibling was my cousin, who was like a brother to me. And then at a very young age my mother remarried and I had a Dad, and they had new kids who were (are) my siblings. And when I left for college I never, ever, went back. I was glad to be grown up and on my own. And around the age of 26 I met my husband, now of 34 years going on 35, and we have created our own family.
“Who are my mother and my brothers?” Jesus asked, and he answered in the next breath, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God ….” What a perfect Gospel for gay pride.
I have a lot of acquaintances, especially here in the Northeastern part of the US where large Jewish or Italian or Greek extended families are common. I have to say, when they tell me about their immense family gatherings I feel relief that I have been spared that. On holy days, Brad and I invite people we love to share our meals and our hearth, and we enjoy making family, as we go. Elsewhere, in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus said “as you go proclaim the good news” and that is how we do it. Family, our family, is from our core—Brad and me—and includes everyone we love.
It is gay pride in Philadelphia this weekend. But the other thing it was yesterdat, was ordination day. I took part in the ordination of deacons and a priest. I try always to go, although I can’t always make it. But I take it seriously that each priest, especially, should be ordained with the laying on of hands of his or her sibling presbyters. As usual, I was overcome by the Holy Spirit as we sang Veni sancte spiritus. And, as usual, I was amazed to look around me, in the liturgy and especially in the huddle, at the priests who were there. They are like family to me. Priests who huddled to lay hands on me at my ordination. Priests whose ministries have intersected mine. Priests who have been instrumental in my ministry. And, priests I have never seen before who are connected, as I am, to my brother and sister priests. Two of our number have recently passed away, Mother Marjorie Farmer and Father Thomas Logan. Father Logan was 100! He was an important part of my ministry when I was rector of an historic black parish. He was 100% inspired by the Holy Spirit. I loved him and I shed a tear when I learned of his passing. We are our mothers and our brothers, we who do the will of God, as best we can discern it.
Today I will bless pets at gay pride. It will be hot as Hades, as usual. I hope the folks who bring their doggies to the cool water at our booth will appreciate the quiet moment and the sharing together of appreciation for the love their dogs and cats give them … because this is how God has taught us as gay people to make family, by doing the will of God.
Proper 5 (1 Samuel 8:4-20, 11:14-15; Psalm 138; 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35)
©2012 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.
Dimensions of Reality: glbt Christian spirituality 