The Work Pride Can Do
A pastoral reflection from our rector
“I told myself I only wanted to be part of a church where my gay mom would be completely welcomed.” Just yesterday, a member of our church said this while sharing her story about inclusion and the church. I think we all share the hope that the whole church would be a welcoming place for all people, and lament the ways it has not, especially for LGBTQ+ folk. This Pride Month, I am grateful for those in our lives who have lovingly and diligently worked for the unconditional welcome of LGBTQ+ people in the church. I wanted to share a small part of how those friends taught me more about the depths of God’s welcome.
I had always thought our church did well to welcome and include gay people. It wasn’t until I looked at it from the perspective of LGBTQ+ people and listened to their experiences that I began to see things differently. They not only helped me understand their plight and how I was complicit in it, but I also recognized Christ with them in their pain. What I thought was welcoming now felt more like policing. If we were to be truly welcoming, we would need to suspend judgment long enough to listen and learn in solidarity with my LGBTQ+ friends. This is what struck me about this church member’s comment: She began with loving solidarity. And it resembles our Lord, who laid down his own privilege for the benefit of those less privileged.
We saw this pattern expressed in 1976, when the General Convention of the Episcopal Church adopted resolutions stating that LGBTQ+ persons “are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church” (1976-A069), and that they “are entitled to equal protection of the laws with all other citizens” (1976-A071). Pride month is an opportunity to celebrate these values and learn more deeply how we might stand with our neighbors, promoting inclusion, acceptance, belonging, and hope. This is the work Pride Month can do. I thank God for the ways we have seen the example of Christ in our LGBTQ+ siblings, and I pray God continues that work in us.
As I write this, I am burdened by the struggle unfolding around us for our immigrant and undocumented neighbors. In the same way I described above, we can learn a lot from loving solidarity, borrowing their perspective, and listening to their experiences. As we do, may we find ways to uphold our baptismal vows for all people, to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself” and to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being” (BCP 305). May we find comfort and hope in the power given to us at Pentecost: The Holy Spirit poured out in loving solidarity with us to lead us toward the Kingdom. This is the power that will overcome the world.
Keep going, Rez,
The Rev. Dr. Shawn McCain Tirres
Rector
Resurrection South Austin Episcopal Church
