A Prayer for Courage, Compassion, and Love
Tomorrow, on Friday, November 7, the Supreme Court may decide whether or not to hear a petition seeking to overturn the historic Obergefell v. Hodges decision, a ruling that made marriage equality the law of the land. At the same time, a video has been circulating of a bishop from a gay-affirming church declaring that he is “no longer gay,” sharing a story of how he claims to have "overcome" his previous life.
For many of us, these headlines and moments stir up something tender in us, not only fear and anger, but a familiar ache. Because this far from the first time our love, our lives, or our very identities have been called into question and called into question under the name of loving God. This is not the first time we have seen people try to deny who they are in the name of faith, conformity, or righteousness. Our communities have been fighting this very fight for decades. Many of us have been fighting for our right to love, to marry, to build our families, and to be our whole and authentic selves for the majority of our lives.
And so, each time these wounds are reopened, we feel it. We feel the hurt, the confusion, the exhaustion of being told, yet again, that our dignity and worth are up for debate. So if you are feeling weary or frightened know this: you are not alone. You are not alone. You are loved and seen and known. We are in this together.
Let us remember: we have lived through scary and challenging times before. We have endured defeats, losses, and setbacks. We have been told to hide, to change, and to disappear. And yet still, we are here. Despite it all, we have persevered, persisted, and prevailed. We love, we fight, and we make a way even when it seems there is no way.
So may our prayers in the coming days be ones of courage, compassion, and steadfast truth.
May we hold one another close and closer still.
May we speak truth in the face of fear.
May we pray for our Supreme Court Justices, that they be moved with compassion, justice, and mercy for all people they serve.
May we pray for those who feel divided in their own bodies.
May we pray for those fighting battles that we do not see or do not understand and may we be moved with compassion, justice, and mercy for all people.
And may we continue to love, to build community, and to believe in a world where all can truly be free. For no matter what the courts decide or the headlines declare, as Bishop Yvette Flunder reminds us:
“Our calling is clear — to proclaim that God’s love is expansive, inclusive, and unrelenting; that our sexuality [and gender identity] are not obstacles to holiness but doorways to understanding the God who is Love.”
Love will remain no matter what.
And so will we.
Love,
Your Pastors