Pastoral Letter on the Occasion of President George W. Bush's Support of a Federal Marriage Amendment
 
Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, Interim National Coordinator
The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns

February 25, 2004
 
In the past day or so, many of our friends and allies have written public statements in response to President Bush's announcement of his support for a Federal Constitutional Amendment on Marriage.  In particular, I encourage you to go to Equal Partners in Faith who have a statement of their own and a copy of the Rev. Troy Perry's statement.  They can be reached at EPFinfo@aol.com-- simply ask them to send you a copy.  I also recommend Soulforce (www.soulforce.org), the Human Rights Campaign (www.hrc.org), and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (www.ngltf.org).  Each has written helpful responses.

In addition to these good resources, I offer you a pastoral letter that is from both theological and political perspectives.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the day in the Christian calendar when we begin the Lenten journey.  For many, this time is deeply personal and introspective.  It is often delineated by fasting and prayer, silence and reflection.  Although there are a myriad of stories of how this time has been abused, it can be one of the holiest experiences of the Christian life.

Lent can be deeply communal and political as well.  This expression of Lent is also filled with holiness because the journey we commemorate during Lent is Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, to confront the Powers-That-Be.

Throughout his life, Jesus takes the time to heal the sick, minister to the outcast and the marginalized, and break bread with all kinds of folks whom others disdain and oppress.  But he doesn't simply touch and heal and minister and break bread with those who are marginalized.  He also calls into question the systems that would have some "in" and some "out."  Time and time again, in each of the gospels, Jesus is portrayed standing in the tradition of the great prophets whose words of "mishpat" (the Hebrew word that is translated as both judgment and justice) challenge the Roman occupation and the religious authorities who oppress.  It is to offer this challenge--one he issued in the hinterlands time and again--that he goes to Jerusalem, the seat of power.

Today, when we mark ourselves with the ashes, we ask ourselves, "Can we make the journey with Jesus?"  "Can we move toward the Jerusalems in our lives and confront the Powers-That-Be?"  "Do we have the courage and the strength, to risk crucifixion?"
 
These are Lenten questions.

And they strike me as amazingly apt today--particularly for those of us who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and for those of us who are allies.  These questions resonate in my heart as hauntingly accurate for our community.

There are no easy answers.  For like the journey that Jesus took toward his Jerusalem, our choices involve risking ourselves.  For some it means coming out.  For others it means sacrificing time and energy.  For still others, it means speaking truth to those who might respond with condemnation.

As we struggle with these realities, we remember the crucified one.  But we also remember that crucifixion was not the end of the journey.  Resurrection was!

And that, my friends, is the ground of all of our Lenten journeys.  Although we must engage the Powers-That-Be; although such confrontation is risky and, indeed, death-dealing at times; although we are scared and can lose hope--the final word is always God's penchant for making love and life abundant.

And because of this we know that the love that overflows on San Francisco's Court House steps is far stronger than the fear and hatred that would seek to quell it.  We know that the faithfulness of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyons (whose 50+ years of partnership were legally recognized last week) is stronger than anxiety of those who believe it threatens them.

And because of this, we need not be afraid.  We can, with hope and energy, receive the ashes of the Lenten journey and make our way toward the Jerusalems of this day, knowing God's love and justice and abundant new life uplifts us.

So let us go forward.  Let us go forward as God's children, blessed and surround by the Spirit of the One who has laid the path before us.