The gay message of Frederick Douglas

       In today's passage we see a group of people, caretakers of the vineyard, who will do anything to keep what they want. They are willing to commit murder to further their own agenda. It would be easy to go off on a tear about what we feel we are entitled to. Perhaps in many cases it is true, we are entitled to so much as a child of God, but certainly no more than anyone else. We certainly cannot demean or kill others to advance our own cause or desires.

           Then I started to think about people who advance their own cause by demeaning others. Sometimes, they blame others to avoid the exact thing in themselves. I can easily see how the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania avenue often casts accusations about the things that he is most guilty of himself. A tried and true mode of operation for many.

           How many times have you made note of some individual, especially a preacher or legislator who is vehemently anti-gay?  Their lives seem to be a crusade to take away rights and demean the character and souls of gay people. Then the other shoe drops. How often have we discovered such people are actually gay themselves?  It is an incredibly sad scenario. One is the people who advance their cause at the hands of others. Also, how sad is it that a gift of God such as being gay has been so maligned that a person is filled with such self loathing rather than embrace the beauty and honesty of saying " I am gay".

           The first thing we must realize is the unity and solidarity that God requires as children of God.  Today the Episcopal Church remembers Frederick Douglas as the holy man he was. AME ordained minister, staunch abolitionist, slave, orator and seeker of social justice for all. Mr. Douglas attended the first woman's rights congress in Seneca Falls, New York. In regards to a vote for a resolution to support woman's suffrage, he said that  'he could not accept the right to vote himself as a black man if woman could not also claim that right.' His powerful words rang true with enough attendees that the resolution passed.

            When we honour holy women and holy men, we should count ourselves in that mix as we stand up for everyone. We cannot be faithful believers in the message of Jesus Christ and demean others to advance our own cause. We cannot honor our creator by demeaning ourselves and the essence which God has graced us with.  

        There can be no demeaning, no scape goats; only self love with love and equality in action. 

Mark 11:27-12:12

 Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.’ They argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say, “Why then did you not believe him?” But shall we say, “Of human origin”?’—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’

Then he began to speak to them in parables. ‘A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watch-tower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture:
“The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone; 
this was the Lord’s doing,
   and it is amazing in our eyes”?’

 When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.