It has been a long week for me, although I have to admit nothing has been out of order. I got an upgrade to business class for my return from Amsterdam. I am completely now of the mind that passengers should just refuse to purchase coach seating on airlines. What if we all did that, and all they could do was sell six seats? You know what, they would extend decent service to the rest of the plane, that’s what. So think about that. This is how air travel used to be, comfortable seats for eight hours, good drinks, a nice meal, and your choice of pleasant conversation or quiet alone time. While I’m at it, how many people flying on US carriers know that most other world airlines have electricity at each seat to plug in or recharge your electronics, and WiFi to stay connected?
Sorry.
It meant, however, that instead of the usual abuse, I had a pretty pleasant trip home, in a seat large enough to relax, and in a cabin with only about 10 people, and with whatever food or drink I wanted. I slept twice, and got home feeling more or less normal, then got a good night’s sleep. Instead of the usual four days of jetlag I had just about one and a half.
You’ve got to wonder what these diplomats are doing flying around all the time feeling like crap and messing up world affairs because of jet lag. But as usual I digress.
So here, in Phillipians, we have the entire crux of the experience of gay Christians: “this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Oh my …
Well, how can we forget what lies behind. Yet, essentially, we must. We must not dwell in closets or in fear, we must press on into the new lives God is giving us each day. Last week I wrote about how there are young couples getting married in the Netherlands now. This is a great example. They do not live in the fear of earlier generations. And so for those of us of a certain age, it is important to maintain the history of our culture, but it also is important for us to help young people get ahead, help them press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus, which is the call to walk in love.
The Gospel this week is Jesus’ condemnation of the religious right of his day; they were so enamored of their earthly rules that they could not even think about God. That is why these lessons are paired with the reading of the Ten Commandments in Exodus. The commandments themselves are not so important in this context; what matters is this last bit, Moses says: “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.”
Remember that “sin” is deliberately separating yourself from God. So my friends, love God, love each other—and remember that loving each other is the best way to love God—and, well, there is no and. Just love each other. Please.
Proper 22 (Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46)
©2011 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved
Dimensions of Reality: glbt Christian spirituality 