I recently read Garret Keizer’s lengthy article in the June Harper’s “Turning Away from Jesus: Gay Rights and the War for the Episcopal Church.” (I cannot post the article but send me an email and I’ll send you the 13-page pdf file.) Although he goes into great detail about recent events, he basically concludes that the fight over gay rights is really a power struggle within the Anglican Communion and the gay issue is really more of a political power play than a theological issue. It’s the WASPs fighting the third world challengers for dominance. It seems less of a liberal versus conservation schism than a contextual view of the Bible versus a literal one. I’m not even sure that differing interpretations of what the Bible says (or doesn’t say) on this issue are at the heart of the matter. Serious theologians stopped debating the issue years ago.
The mainline denominations debated the gender issue 50 years ago, and now sexual orientation has come to the forefront. It’s really about who wins and loses power rather than a rational discussion of a divisive issue. I’m sure that some are convinced that they’re “right” and their opponents are “wrong,” but I’ve become cynical enough to think that it’s less about beliefs than about knocking the other guy out. Gays just happen to be an easy target. We weren’t as much of a “threat” 50 years ago because we were silent, but when we started to speak up we created a “fear factor.” We started challenging the establishment, and that stirred up trouble. Fear is a useful “campaign strategy” that even Jesse Helms used while hiring gays on his staff at the same time. I’ve said as much about the United Methodist Church, and my brief appearance at General Conference seemed to confirm that conclusion.
Just when I tend to get discouraged about the United Methodist Church someone comes along to lift my spirit. Recently I was referred by a friend who regularly attends the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas to a sermon by the Rev. Bill Taylor, the former pastor of the Conroe, TX UMC. His son is on the staff at the COH. Go to their web site and click on their archive of worship services for the sermon on June 1 2008: www.cathedralofhope.com
Yesterday I attended the RUM-NC worship service at the North Carolina Annual Conference. We moved the service indoors to an air-conditioned space at the City Hotel (next to the convention center) that provided more comfort even though it was more of a walk. We had more than a hundred to attend in spite of the hike. I heard another Methodist preacher speak of his experience in coming to accept a gay or lesbian child. We heard Bo and Vernon Tyson preach about “What I Know.” Unfortunately, I did not videotape that so can’t share it with you. But listening to the two of them tell their story of reconciliation and testimony of movement in the United Methodist Church, you could again feel the Holy Spirit at work among us.
