LGBTQ+ Prophets Building Up Love

Atmospheric rivers, wars in Ukraine and Gaza, ice storms, … what a way to describe what we pray for today as “in our time … give us peace.”

Of course, time is not ours, time and space, which are one, are God’s. Creation just is. Justice is, love is, and it is up to us to reflect and reveal and respond, to understand that we live in all time. Thus, peace is the power of love, which comes from the power of our response in loving.

Moses [Deuteronomy 18:15-20] proclaims that God will send prophets like him, who will be “from among your own people.” Prophets are those who are called by God to call us all into love and away from disconnection. We are taught to think of the prophets in scripture, Moses and Elijah and Isaiah and Jeremiah and people like that, when we think of prophets. We forget that Rosa Parks and Jim Obergefell are prophets. Undoubtedly there are prophets in your life, people whose truth is definitional for you.

So we forget that we too are prophets when we walk in love in response to God’s call to us to live into the love with which God created us as LGBTQ+ people in God’s own image.

Paul draws a distinction between knowledge and love in 1 Corinthians [8:1b-13], between acting from the heart and soul, loving, which builds up more love, as opposed to acting from conventional wisdom, which builds up more fences. When we act from love we build up more love. When we build up love we cannot be disconnected from each other or from God. When we show the love we have for our LGBTQ+ lives, the joy builds up the whole connected community of humanity. Building up love is the prophet’s call.

A CNN piece this week reports that “Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ at much higher rates than older Americans … ” (Nicole Chavez, CNN, Jan. 25, 2024 https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/25/us/gen-z-adults-lgbtq-identity-reaj?cid=ios_app). It is because of us, because of our lives as prophets of love. Gen Z adults have grown up in a world of loving possibilities, in which we, God’s LGBTQ+ prophets, have filled creation with our love, in which the example of the possibilities of our love, given us in creation by God, is visible, palpable, and loving.

It is because our love is visible, as a form of prophetic witness, that so many have been able to step aside from the strictures that bound them [the “knowledge” that puffs up in Paul’s words]. Have you seen any of the Showtime/Paramount+ series Fellow Travelers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fellow_Travelers_(miniseries) )? Among other things, it is a pretty accurate representation of those times not all that long ago; of the dangers and trials of LGBTQ+ life in a time before the prophecy of those of us who follow still the exodus call of Stonewall (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots ). Drag queens at Stonewall Inn leading the charge—more LGBTQ+ prophets.

In Mark’s Gospel [1:21-28] Jesus is confronted by a “man with an unclean spirit.” Jesus understands completely that this is a case of a human emptied of love and thus overwhelmed by the vacuum inside. Jesus loves, calls out the truth, and love rushes in. The unclean spirit, the vacuum in the absence of love, creates a void, a vacuum in the consciousness of creation. Jesus voids the vacuum and fills the man with love. Love fills up the void, love builds up the kingdom. Love leads the way for prophets to gather creation together.

It is the comprehension of the power of our own LGBTQ+ love that makes us prophets. Our love fills the void, our love builds up.

4 Epiphany Year B 2024 RCL (Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111 Confitebor tibi; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28)

©The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.

The Earth is Full of the Knowledge of Love

Prophets are god’s messengers. This week I met a prophet, a young man who was good to me in a difficult situation … no preaching, just a smile and understanding for a gay elder … it was a perfect example of how God’s prophets are always everywhere among us, showing us the way. The form of repentance they bring is the reminder of what a difference a little smile can make. The way of salvation is the door into the dimension of love where the little smiles reign.

We are learning more and more from the heritage of our indigenous neighbors. I learned this week about how, for the Yurok people, condors “carry prayer to the heavens and across the world” (https://www.npr.org/2022/11/30/1139971256/the-yurok-tribe-leads-conservation-efforts-to-reintroduce-the-california-condor ).

This week’s Old Testament prophecy, then, from Isaiah (11:1-10), tells how a “shoot shall come out from the stump.” I have been nursing an avocado tree for a couple of years now, I grew it from a seed, I have been trying this for years and never succeeded until now, but then given the vagaries of life I let it grow too tall and thin so that the tiny trunk could not support the few leaves at the top. I said a little prayer and cut it off near the “stump.” I held my breath for about two months until at last a shoot came out from the stump, and now, about 3 months later, I have a nicely variegated tree with lots of strong branches and leaves. Prophecy here is yet again about how God shows us in these simple and everyday life ways where to find the doors into the dimension of love. Something as simple as tending a tree has the power of the knowledge of God, of the growth of righteousness and faithfulness, “a signal to the peoples,” a prayer carried to the heavens and across the world.

Stewardship of this life, then, is the obligation to render prosperity in the tending of creation. Righteousness inheres in the right harmony with creation (Psalm 72:1-8).

Hope is that spiritual sense of justice and righteousness and the certain knowledge that not only is God with us but we also are with God (Romans 15:4-13). Hope fills us with joy and peace in our believing, which is our harmony with creation, with God and with each other, and that is another sign of the door to the dimension of salvation.

To repent is just to think again, to pay attention, to not just respond to the smile but to let it change your life (Matthew 3:1-12). Years ago in Philadelphia I knew a guy (our regular Saturday night waiter for almost 25 years!) and he was one of God’s prophets too. I remember how he always seemed frightened about the idea of Advent. Having been raised in the Roman tradition he remembered only that the Advent readings seemed to be always about horrors to come. He was good to me, an Episcopal priest, and he had a desire to be connected to his faith, which he managed to work out through our casual conversations. And he was a prophet in many ways, but in this one thing is where I really see it now, that like so many LGBTQ people he had been mistreated at the hands of seemingly religious people who were ill informed about the true faith. Not unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees in today’s Gospel reading who are scolded by John the Baptizer.

I don’t know whether I ever managed to convince my friend that these readings were not about a future, but rather aboutthe present reality in our own hearts. But he had already, long ago, successfully navigated his way into the dimension of love.

What else can I say? Repent? Yes, of course, always rethink, and always ask forgiveness when you fail to act in a loving way, and do not let your heart be darkened by oppressive thoughts.

The earth will be full of the knowledge of the love of God as the waters cover the sea, and the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal of how creation grows God’s love.

2 Advent Year A 2022 RCL (Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 Deus, judicium; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12)

©The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.

A Rainbow of Prophets

Prophets are God’s people who are chosen to demonstrate to all the rest of us the power of God’s love. Often prophets do this just by being whoever they already are. There are famous dramatic stories in the Old Testament about burning coals and voices in the tornado and even the sound of sheer silence (I might have made up that bit about the tornado, but you get my drift), but if you look at what prophets actually did, you will see that they walked around a lot (Isaiah walked naked for three years), they ate, they dropped in on people, they slept, and they gave their best advice about walking in love.

There are prophets among us always as well. People of my generation will recognize a few names, the most famous probably being Rosa Parks, who famously sat down. But what about Jim Obergefell, whose suit established the right to marriage equality in the US? What about recent Jeopardy! champions Amy Schneider, Mattea Roach, and Rowan? All they have done is smile and play a game—on television with millions watching! As I said, all they did was to do what they do, to be who they are, visibly. (I know, when I write about Jeopardy! it seems to unsettle people, but let’s face it, an average of 9.2 million viewers watch that show five days a week; and these viewers are everybody everywhere. Jeopardy! is so important that even way back when I was a hospital chaplain and set out to visit everyone scheduled for morning surgery, I was instructed by the senior chaplain to be sure I did not visit anybody during Jeopardy!).

Well, we have more prophets this week, and in their actions and beings we have more evidence of the ubiquity of God’s love. We have seen the work of hundreds of thousands of voters, acting and being and walking in love to bring forth greater domestic tranquility, less bullying, reinforced justice. And we saw what has been called a rainbow wave—“for the first time out LGBTQ candidates were on the ballot in all 50 states—as well as D.C., Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/11/lgbtq-midterms-2022-candidates/ ). Who are the prophets here? The candidates, the voters, all of us? Yes, indeed, to all three.

It is in these small ways we know we are walking in the dimension of love, that we can hold fast to hope, that God is always creating “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17), that we must not be “weary in doing what is right (2 Thessalonians 3: 13), that as we go God always will give us words and wisdom (Luke 21:15), and that we must always give thanks and rejoice (Canticle 9 Isaiah 12:4-5).

Of course the hard work has only begun, but that is how each day begins. There is always the hard work of remembering to walk in love even in the face of bullying and Injustice—especially in the face of bullying and injustice. Just do what you do, be who you are, emulate the prophets all around you, walk in love.

Proper 28 Year C 2022 RCL (Isaiah 65:17-25; Canticle 9 (Isaiah 12:2-6); 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19)

©The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.

Prophets of Love

We were watching an old movie last night and the heroine said “I just want things to stop happening to me.”

I said to my husband “that’s how I feel.”

Peace.

Peace is that place where nothing is happening. Because when nothing is happening, everything can happen.

Well, that’s hard to explain isn’t it?

But first, a note about Amy Schneider, whose forty day winning streak ended this week on Jeopardy!. Yes, she was just one of those people who plays on tv game shows. But, no. She was a heroine of the LGBTQ movement, for showing up, for telling her story about Princess Ozma on national television and for then continuing to show up. This is the essence of prophecy, showing up and being visible and sometimes nothing seems to happen. Prophets bring peace in just this way.

After a couple of challenging weeks, I am really looking forward, with love in my heart, to a fire in the fireplace and tuna casserole for supper (although I am puzzled by the shortage of medium shells in the market!?). I’m really looking forward, with love in my heart, to my husband’s hugs and his laughter. I’m really looking forward, with love in my heart, to peace, to that time and place where nothing is the best loving thing happening, where love can just be.

The essence of God’s creation is love. Love underlies all else. We call that subtstrate in my science. It means everything else rests on its functioning. The way it functions is that we must call it forth to make it visible. We can do that easily, by just being people of love.

Making the supper, knowing your husband will revel in eating it. That kind of thing is what it means to love.

In Luke’s Gospel (4:21-30) Jesus returns to the synagogue of his youth. Everyone is smiling and welcoming him and beaming with pride at this nice young man, now all grown up. That is, until he tells them the truth about love. He recounts this history of prophets who came and found no love and so could build no love. The crowd, without love, notoriously becomes enraged and chases Jesus to the edge of a cliff. The cliff is very real but is also a perfect metaphor for the cliff we live on if we fail to walk in love. Jesus, who has love for them, is protected by the love in his being and they part, like the proverbial Red Sea, for him to pass through the midst of them.

Prophets come from God to show us a glimpse of ourselves. We can see in them the source of love that can be built up for the glory of creation. We can find that peace that passes all understanding if we can see the love the prophet shows us and find just a bit of it in our own selves. All we need is a scintilla, from which to build up. As Paul says (1 Corinthians 13:12) we need only see love as “in a mirror, dimly” for it to begin to build.

At the beginning of the Gospel story (which is also the final line from last week’s appointed scripture) Jesus says “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” As I wrote last week, it is important that it happens in their hearing, in a community sensibility, rather than in their sight, which they might easily ignore. He means, love has come for you, love has come to tell you love is here, love has brought you a prophet to show you the way, love is ready for you to grasp it and to build it up.

In a way, in this time and this world, all of us who are God’s created LGBTQ people are prophets. Our job is to love, to love and to live, in peace, to be seen to be loving people living in peace, to build up the power of love. Even when we understand only as in a mirror dimly.

Epiphany 4 Year C 2022 RCL (Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30)

Acting with Boldness*

Recently a friend of mine won an award from the Guinness Book of World Records. My friend’s real name is irrelevant here (just like the prophets in the Bible), in the record books you’ll find her as Michelle DuBarry. She is, at the moment, at the age of 84, the world’s oldest performing drag queen (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/torontos-michelle-dubarry-on-being-the-oldest-performing-drag-queen/article28611008/).

And I’m proud to say she was maid of honor at my wedding.

Talk about acting with boldness. When Michelle began drag it was a sort of theater, this was in the 1950s, and the men who dressed as women to do short musical reviews, had to wear men’s underwear, because when the cops raided their shows they actually had to pull up their dresses and show their BVDs (the law was written in such a way that this made it legal, don’t ask me for the details ….). Michelle is a darling lady. When I first met her a decade ago she asked me how I was and I said I was very old and she said something along the lines of I didn’t know the half of it. She’s young at heart and always has been. But she’s also bold, and always has been. Prophets act with boldness.

I seem to be on a kick here. Prophecy is not that weird made up prediction nonsense you find all around. Prophecy is when people act in ways that God calls them to do, to show the rest of us the truth. Michelle is a prophet, and at this point she’s nearing Isaiah’s experience level!

In Wisconsin the snow has melted, and across the US the election is actually engaged and soon some people actually will vote (remember, at caucuses people don’t vote, they count how many are at which casserole). Yes, that was rude, but caucuses aren’t elections and the press shouldn’t treat them as elections. (We did see that they don’t actually count people, they actually just toss coins.)

Boldness is how God has called all of us to live. We are called to live life to the fullest, pushing the boundaries at every moment. No fear, no closet—it’s time to be out and to be boldly who God made you to be. No less than the world’s oldest performing drag queen has said “now we can be who we are.” That means you, too.

This Sunday in the Christian calendar is often called the Transfiguration. It is the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany, which means Christmas really is over now (so take those damn lights down!).

It’s time for Lent, and that means it’s the point in the calendar when we turn from the intimate darkness of winter to the encroaching spring and to the promise of new life. In the Church we soon will enter the season of Lent, with ashes and repentance and penitent acts—we are called to look inward.

I know, there is a great secularization of giving things up, this is caused by the irrational approach the Romans have brought—”tell them the rules but don’t explain!” But the purpose of Lenten repentance is not to give up something that is bad for you. If you smoke, you should quit smoking, and not blame it on Lent. But if you enjoy baloney sandwiches, you might give them up for Lent. Every day when you have a turkey sandwich instead you will miss your baloney, and in that moment of “missing” you will have repented and found a window open to God. That is what Lent is about.

When you look inward, do you find someone acting with boldness? You should. Because Lent is about acting with boldness. Don’t give something up, rather, think of it as entering into that spiritual space where you can be one with God. And then, once there, figure out who God has called you to be, and be that person. Like our great prophet Michelle DuBarry.

 

©2016 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved

Last Sunday after Epiphany (Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; 2 Cor 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a])