Today and everyday, I hope you know that you are worthy of God’s love, abundance, and grace. The way you show up in this world matters: to me, to our church and wider community, and to this world. You carry a spark of the Divine within you. You are not only loved, you are deeply needed.
Let this Pride, be a reminder that Pride is for everyone, gay, straight, cis, trans, bi, ace, or any other identity. Pride is a celebration of the courage it takes to be who you are. Let it be a reminder that we are all called to live more freely, more fully, more truthfully. Your truest self, the one that sometimes hides, the one that’s learning to speak, to sing, and to shine deserves to be known, seen, and embraced. Not just by others, but by you.
Every time you show up as yourself, even when it's hard or scary, you make space for others to do the same. This is sacred work. It is holy and transformative. You are not a disruption, you are a revelation.
Several years ago, on June 1st, the first day of Pride month, I got the word courage tattooed on my wrist. I needed the reminder that I could be afraid and still live as my whole self. That I could be tender and brave at the same time. That I was far from alone, that thousands had come before me walking this same path of authenticity, and thousands will come after. That we are never alone in the struggle to be seen and loved as we are.
This Pride, I hope you embrace the tenderest parts of yourself, the parts that need nurturance, patience, and compassion. Those are the parts that make you most human, most holy. I hope you know how loved you are in this world. How much you matter. How your presence, exactly as you are, makes this world more beautiful and more whole.
I know how hard this world can be, how isolating and how unforgiving. And I also know the unbelievable healing that can come through connection that happens within beloved community. Beloved Community is not a dream that is far out there, but it is something we create together, day by day, in the way we show up for ourselves and one another.
Baba Sheikh Farid once said, “I thought I was alone who suffered. I went on top of the house, and found every house on fire.” So when you feel alone, trust you are not. When you feel like the weight is all on you, know it isn't. When you doubt if you're doing enough, remember that your very existence, your honest presence, is more than enough.
You are God’s light in this world, radiant, needed, and beloved. The world needs your voice. It needs your story. It needs your authenticity. It needs you.
In Love and Solidarity,
Pastor Eli