Be The Light

Be The Light

We’re in a day, we’re in a time,
we’re in a world that’s lost its mind
Where is our soul? Where is our heart?
We each need to pray to find our way,
there is a way out of the dark

Be the light, be the light, let the flame that burns inside of you
Change somebody’s life Be the light, be the light,
You may be the only candle in the night, but you be the light

When you are loved, when you are whole, someone will see
And they will believe like a fire so strong it will catch on

Be the light, be the light, let the flame that burns inside of you
Change somebody’s life Be the light, be the light,
You may be the only candle in the night, but you be the light

Shine, shine, show the way
Open your heart, don’t be afraid

Be the light, be the light, let the flame that burns inside of you
Change somebody’s life Be the light, be the light,
You may be the only candle in the night, but you be the light

One of the hardest things for me about writing this blog is feeling sometimes like the battle we're engaged in is overwhelming. There is so much ignorance and such fear out there that at times if feels like things will never change. And then there are the voices of doubt that return from time to time - aren't there other, more important issues to address? why fight what feels like a losing battle?

And yet at my best moments - when I'm most at peace and can feel the love and mercy of God present in my life - it's then that I know that the battle's not my own. God alone can change hearts. God alone can help the church and society to realize and celebrate the dignity of all people, whatever their race, religion, language, culture or sexual orientation. God alone can touch our souls and liberate us from the oppression we inflict on others - especially those who are weakest and most marginalized in our churches and in society.

In the meantime, all we LGBT people of faith can do is simply live and give witness with our love and our lives how God is working wonders for us. As the song I've shared here by Jason and deMarco says, "When you are loved, when you are whole, someone will see, and they will believe like a fire so strong it will catch on." Simply loving our partners and families and friends and receiving their love, we give witness to God's love as well and hopefully ever so gradually we also help to change hearts and minds...

One final thought that I'd like to address to readers from a Catholic/Christian background...Perhaps you're reading this and feeling a bit uncertain, thinking that maybe you'd like to support recognition of loving, monogamous commitments for LGBT people within your church. You might feel a little torn, not knowing if it's okay to disagree with authority figures and find a way to support what your prayer and discernment have led you to conclude is right. As an ordained person I've struggled mightily with those same questions and all I would share is that in the end it's okay to disagree in conscience with those in authority within the church - St. Paul, St. Catherine of Siena, Martin Luther, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton and countless others have - and even to take steps to find a community that's more reflective of your conscience.

Granted, unity among believers in Christ is essential and our leaders are there for a reason. But unity is not the same as uniformity. For that reason, don't be afraid to let God lead you to a place where you can be at peace spiritually. Perhaps that might mean staying in the church you were raised in, working in your own way for justice and dignity. Or perhaps it might mean beginning a new journey that will lead you to find a spiritual home that preserves the essentials of the Christian faith and also allows you to worship God in a community that is inclusive and welcoming.

There is no one answer that fits for everyone - each of us must discern this question both individually and with our partners and families and allow God's Spirit to guide us. In the end, none of us knows how the journey to LGBT equality will unfold within the church. All we know is how the story ends, just as it always has throughout history for oppressed people - in freedom, liberation and joy. For LGBT people this will mean that all of us will finally be welcomed into our spiritual homes just as are and will no longer be subjected to the senseless psychological and spiritual torture of attempts to make us into something we're not. In the end, love will prevail, we shall overcome, and God will be praised and glorified in the sweet freedom we all share.

In the meantime, all each of us can do is what the song I've shared here proclaims - be the light - love and be loved, sing our songs, live our lives and allow God to shine through us and finally lead us forth into peace, love, freedom and the joy that no one can ever take away from us.

With hope in God's goodness and compassion,

Padre Chuck