Send your camel to bed

Matthew 19:23-30

          Here I am in beautiful P-town, awake on a particularly beautiful early morning, reading my morning scripture and giving thanks and praise for all the miraculous and wonderful things in my life, our life. I cannot help but wonder though if I am a camel. I have been so blessed. Although not rich, we are comfortable in our frugal lifestyle. I can play tennis, go biking and I have my sight to see a full array of God's beautiful creations. I am blessed. Although I, like Peter, have left everything to be where I am and especially, who I am, I wonder if I am faithful enough, worthy enough for eternal life.

         When someone invariably says I am going to hell for being gay and living "that lifestyle", I want to reply something like (you judgmental , ignorant, hypocritical bastard) , well, I'll see you there then! Of course I do not say that or anything close. If they are not to judge, neither am I.

          So I am faced with what I perceive as a fine line between being so graced in this life and being able to fit through the eye of that needle.  What I do know about myself is that the material things are appreciated. That is, I don't seek them as an end, as a 'god' if you will. I have left them and would leave them again if need be. What I find the most important is the love and relationships of my life. I don't think it's a rationalization when I say that I believe God wants the best for all of us  and in every way. Our problem begins when we place 'things' ahead of love, God, others and especially at  the others' expense. In many ways I think our lifestyle as Americans makes our country 'the camel'. We are so into our inherent right too live the way we do and maintaining it that we forget the rest of our brothers an sisters struggling around the world or around the corner. If we as Americans are doomed it isn't so much because of our committed gay loving relationships it will be because of our arrogant self worth, self righteousness and lack of consideration for the rest of the world.

              Where does that leave me and us? Again,  willing to put the material aside, our salvation is in God and love.  If in that love we accept the credo of living simply so others can simply live, we will be well on our way to salvation and I am sure God will smile on our efforts

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’

Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.