Wednesday, May 10, 2006

They will know we are Christians...

So yesterday I said to a friend, rather flippantly, that gay people are seldom persecuted these days, at least not openly. For the most part, we're allowed to live our lives, and only have to endure hatefulness from the people who write letters to the editor and resolutions for the Synod Assembly.

And then today I heard from another friend that an incredibly talented music director in town was serving his last Sunday this week at a local Catholic parish. (Sorry to be circumspect; I don't know how public he wants this story to be, so I'm erring on the side of circumspect.) The gentleman in question has been forced out by a cabal of hateful folks in the parish, who have subjected him to letters, notes, and even written messages on his belongings. One of the notes simply said "Leave, Fag!"

Ah, the love of a Christian community.

I almost wish he could stay another week, so that the congregation could hear the words of the lectionary gospel of the day, St. John, chapter 15--“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you"--as they bid farewell to the best director in town.

Is it just me, or is hatefulness becoming a default mode in our public discourse? People don't even seem to hide their hatefulness any more--they just come right out with it. There's another post here, but I wanted this story to stand on its own. It is a story of needless loss, and a reminder that the church cannot simply "allow everyone their opinions." Some "opinions" are wrong. If we don't have the courage to say that, then the hatefulness will escalate, and the Body of Christ will lose more blood.

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