This post is dedicated to the LGBTI community who were and are a prophetic voice in my life – I am forever grateful.
On the 15th April it was two years since Dean Beck, Nathan Despott and I sat down at the Joy FM Radio station and recorded an interview to discuss the damage done to LGBTI people through ex-gay therapy programmes. This erroneous idea that LGBTI people are ‘broken’ and need to be ‘healed’ or ‘fixed’ goes a lot further than the programmes run through parachurch programmes or ministry. Rather, it is the very oxygen in most conservative, fundamentalist religious spaces that view LGBTI people of faith as ‘other’.
I should know this because I was part of one of the many people that held this idea that there was something ‘wrong’ with those who identified as anything but heterosexual. My paradigms were supported by ignorance, fear, and religious ‘experts’ who had very LOUD opinions and very little knowledge. My doubts and questions about this harmful exclusion started long before that interview.
Two years on and my world has changed … dramatically. The interview literally brought extremist religious leaders out of retirement. There was a bombarding of emails, letters and flyers. The board of the faith community that I was part of, supportive at first of my right to speak as an individual not representing the church, felt the pressure of lobby groups and found this rather difficult. It became easier to distance myself.
It was one of the more difficult journeys of my life. As I reflect back, I realise that anytime we endeavour to live true to our values we often come against strong power structures. Structures and ideals that are deeply embedded and share an umbilical cord with political agendas (similar to the apartheid ideals in South Africa, or the segregation ideals that spurred the civil rights movement in the USA).
I learnt a lot of things through this experience:
Perhaps the most important learning was the bravery shown by LGBTI people and people of faith. My exclusion and treatment shrinks into insignificance as I listened to many, many stories of heartache, rejection, condemnation, prejudice, and sheer hurtful behaviour by people who claim to hold to the Gospel of Christ, while condemning their brothers and sisters in a most saccharine “O-we-love-you-but-hate-your-sin” manner. I discovered friends and heroes on the margins – a magnificent and fierce rainbow clan that I am honoured to call friends.
I discovered a fairly lonely, narrow path. For someone who has spent a decent amount of time surrounded by loads of people, it was a strange experience. It brought its own significant anxiety. On this lonely path there was not much backslapping and grandiose talk about the modern church or its mission to ‘save the world’ – rather I came face to face with my own shadows, with my own insecurities, and with the painful process of detoxing from a hyperreality that creates religious addicts with a silo mentality.
I learnt that to let go is a death experience. I lost reputation, friends, status, power, influence, and all invitations to speak at other churches stopped rather abruptly. It is a dangerous thing to ask questions and make up your own mind. Letting go meant laying it all down and walking away … perhaps you know that space? Perhaps this is what you are walking through right now?
But I also learnt there is resurrection. There is hope. There is freedom and joy on this narrow path that is very hard to describe. When you no longer fear the threats because there is not much more to lose then, in a strange, paradoxical way, you begin to really live. There is an insanely, happy dance that accompanies those who refuse to be bullied into dancing to the tune of religious, cultural norms. You see, dear friend, the Gospel really is very good news.
I am not sure what the future holds. The life I thought I would lead has died many years ago. But this Easter, in an old Uniting Church in Richmond, I heard the whispers of Resurrection. This surprising narrow path of joy holds treasures I would never have found surrounded by the accolades and approval of others. This resurrection hope quietly beckons me to keep walking … and that I shall.
Bless you Nicole,
As someone with many friends in the LGBTI community, I have long admired your bravery in speaking against the grain of the majority within the church. I’m constantly flabbergasted at the response from others, but please know that you are loved, valued and highly regarded.
Thank you, Darren, for your kind words.
Thank you for helping me in my transformative journey. This is a place where I have caused pain to the LGBTIQ community. This has helped me better understand how the Gospel is about relationship. And relationship is not about agendas but discovery of Loving God and your neighbour no matter who they are.
Well written Nicole. I myself has struggled in relating to the pain we have handed the LGBTIQ community. I am in the middle of a transformation of learning of the pain I have caused based very much on fear. You have helped me both theologically and spiritually take that journey which has been lonely. Strangely, I have learnt this more through working with refugees The Gospel is about relationship and relationships transform people.
Thank you for your comment and honesty, Barry.
We tend to read the Bible like we are reading a contemporary novel. We used it to persecute the Jews as the ‘murderers of Christ’. We used it to condone slavery, and apartheid. The Bible has not changed, but our understanding of what it says clearly has. With the LGBTIQ community we are still in the darkened tomb of Friday, BUT SUNDAY’S COMING.
Thank you, Lance, for such an insightful and hope-filled comment.
Just beautiful
My courageous friend xxxxx
Thank you, Lisa xx