thoughts after midnight

tonight we had our final church and ministry course for the semester (it's a practical theology course where we look at different issues that arise from the context of ministry). one of our classmates, cindy, spoke about her experiences as a transsexual woman. and i've been sitting in front of the computer for a while now wanting to write some thoughts but still working things through in my head. it was a really neat experience. i've gotten to know cindy a bit over the semester but this was the first time i've heard her reflections on her own experience. and it was also helpful because she explained so much basic stuff like what is transsexual (transsexual is a person who chooses to live their life as the opposite sex. interestingly, transgendered is slightly different and is in fact an umbrella term meaning anyone who dresses as the opposite sex for whatever reason - transvestite, cross-dresser, drag queen, etc. so transsexual is a more specific category within transgendered).

the first thing that struck me from cindy's talk is how although she does not feel excluded or unwelcome by the church it is difficult for her to find things that speak specifically to her as a transsexual. she commented on the way we usually lump together lgbtq (lesbian/gay/bi/trans/queer) but that these are all very different. in fact, trans people are often excluded by the gay/lesbian community because in reality, their situation is very different. the thought had never even crossed my mind. cindy pointed to a couple of passages in the new testament that speak about the eunuch and used this as a symbol for the transsexual. matthew 19:12 made so much more sense in this light: For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

the most incredible part of cindy's story is that she was not a christian when she first came out of the closet. she started going to church because she wanted community. and she found community at the church (a united church congregation). as she says, "i came for the community and i stayed for the christ." in light of all the awful things that happen in the name of religion my heart burned within in me when she said this. and it wasn't that everyone in her congregation are raging liberals...they've just decided to make inclusivity a part of their mission.

what makes it all the more wonderful and exciting is that cindy is now starting theological studies in the mdiv program. it's such an incredible thing that the united church openly affirms the wholeness and worth of all people in this way. and if we believe that we are saved not by what we do but by god's grace alone...well...you see where i'm going with this. i guess there's a long way to go and a need for thoughtful and prayerful dialogue and reflection.

i leave you with a story from acts of the apostles:

26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. She had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in her chariot, she was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard her reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 She replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And she invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that she was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." 34 The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to her the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" 38 She commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized her. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on her way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.