Today we take up in Scripture where we were two days ago with the harvest, the end times. Jesus is speaking about 'children of the kingdom' and 'children of the evil one'. It seems pretty straight forward and certainly the arrogance of some would simply say something like I am a child of the kingdom, "I am saved" and you are evil and going to hell. That also seems pretty straight forward. Perhaps true when taken out of context like so many religious zealots do, but it is not so simple in light of the way Jesus lived, whom he consorted with, what he did and others things He said. Jesus was all embracing, all loving.
Today the Episcopal church remembers Blandina who was martyred on or near this date in the year 177. In a twist of irony from today, Christians were the ones as outsiders, labelled and accused of living evil lives. Accused of incest, cannibalism, I am sure there was more, stirred up by those in power, those in the majority, those who 'knew' they were right and that Christians were, perhaps 'soul-less' by their standards.
The tables have turned now. Some so called Christians are the accusers, the ones labelling others as impure, guilty of unforgivable sins, sinful lives, "intrinsically disordered". As this begins the month of Gay Pride! , how fitting is it that we take an earnest look at how the gay community has been vilified? Lack of understanding, lack of compassion, arrogance, all play a part in the isolation, denigration and persecution of the LGBTQ community.
The real funny part is that it is the so called 'straight' community that has been guilty of abominations and social sins since time immemorial. Concubines, Lots daughters getting their own father drunk and seducing him. The Bible is full of it. In modern times, has vice, cheating, one night stands, hook-up bars and 'titty bars' been a construct of the gay community or the straight community? The truth is anyone can live an immoral life but those ills are creations of the straight community, not the gay community.
As ridiculous as it is to think that a real Christian would act the way Blandina and her companions were accused of and martyred for, so it is ridiculous to paint all of the LGBTQ community with a brush of filth and immoral living. As far as propensity to do good or evil, we are all quite equal no matter who we are or who we love.
Let us all, even within the LGBTQ community, look for understanding, compassion , empathy. That could be a real and honorable goal this pride month.
Matthew 13:36-43
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
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