Gay audacity

Matthew 9:20-22

         The audacity of this woman! By the custom ( and 'knowledge' ) of her time she would clearly be a sinner. Who else would be so cursed as to have twelve years of hemorrhages? As such, where does she come off approaching Jesus, none the less to touch him? Touching Jesus would render him ritually impure. She has a lot of nerve, don't you think?

          How does Jesus (God) respond?  Don't touch me sinner? Repent and sin no more" Wow! Jesus says simply your faith has made you well. This clearly would not be the response of the Pharisees or most of the Elders of the time. The woman would be cast out and not be allowed to return until she was better which would probably be never because as we know now, it was no fault of her own.

          How do many religious respond to those in gay community? Repent sinner ! Unclean! There is a litany of the alleged sins and total lack of knowledge or realization that God created us this way. There are broad sweeping beliefs about what we "do".  Some people are as ignorant and prejudiced about gays in the same way some people believed all blacks eat chitlins, watermelon and fried chicken. There is a fundamental lack of knowledge and ignorance about people who are part of the gay community which is sadly often fed by the religious right, the media and the Internet. Did you know you can't believe everything you read on the Internet?

         But be all that as it may, like the woman in today's passage, God's love is not dependant on a "cure" for something that we don't understand. What Jesus said, as he has said many times before without restriction, is that your faith has healed you. All are welcome. Most people do not need to be cured, simply understood and be told they are loved and welcome.

        Like the woman in today's passage, we too in the gay community need to reach out and touch God because we know God loves us and our wholeness resides not only in accepting all that we are but all that we are meant to be in terms of being one with God.

Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well.