Same love, our foundation

1 Corinthians 3:11-23 and Luke 10:17-20

         I was sitting with an older gentleman the other day and he was quite talkative. He was imparting all sorts of facts, his vast travels, exotic places one and all, where his children and grandchildren had gone to school, all upper crust and Ivy League places. He noted he had just purchased one child a new house. I listened and took it all in. I don't think there is anything wrong with any of those things but they are not the things I would find most important to impart to an acquaintance. It almost smacks of snobbery. I would be more likely to ask deeper questions about what he had done in life, was he truly happy and were those children and grandchildren good and decent people. 

          Yesterday I found myself checking out face book and I noted that my an old sister-in-law had attended a gay wedding. I think in fact it was her sister that got married. It seemed like a beautiful wedding. I've been thinking about that.

          Of all things we boast of and the way we describe things in life it seems so sad.  Does it really have to be a "gay" wedding. Couldn't it be just a "wedding"?  Do we say we attended a mixed race wedding or do we just say we attended a wedding?  Why must we categorize things? Is it chic? Is it the same as saying my son went to Harvard?  Should I boast that my son went to the Newhouse School or that my daughter-in-law went to Barnard?  They are all wonderful and good things and fine accomplishments. Perhaps they will wind up with better jobs. I think they have. But is that what is important in life and should we be describing things in such a way as to create some kind of class system or try to create envy?

         Isn't it time we focus on the really important stuff?  I think that's what both these passages today are really speaking of. What is our foundation?  No one is more proud that me to be gay. I believe it is a great gift from God and I revel in the most wonderful husband in the world. What does that do for me? It really is what I do with what I have been graced with. Ok, so I am gay. Am I faithful? Am I decent? Do I love and do I reach out to love and support others?   If you went to Harvard, great! but what did you do with that opportunity? Did you take advantage of that opportunity to develop yourself and to do good? 

         Perhaps it is wrong to say this, but the gay community has been so marginalized and vilified but that only means that we are called to give a bit more back to the community, to empathise and identify with those who may be in a similar situation. The Roman Catholic church states that if you are gay your 'gift' is being called to celibacy. I think that is so bogus and wrong hearted it serves only to indict them all the more and show the error of their ways. I would say that if you are gay you are called in special way to minister to those who have had similar experiences and similar crosses to bear in life even if that cross is created by society.

       It would be great if we all could appreciate and respect each other without the need for one-upmanship or being a braggart. We are all equally loved and all called to love. It isn't gay love or straight love or black love, or Jewish love or Harvard love or Indian love. It is love. Love is love, that is our foundation. 

1 Corinthians 3:11-23

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,
‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’,
and again,
‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
   that they are futile.’
So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Luke 10:17-20

The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’