I just wanted to share a blog post that beautifully sums up the “I’m Sorry” campaign I participated in at the Gay Pride parade in Chicago this past Sunday with The Marin Foundation. The echoing reactions have been powerful and people across the country have been inspired to take action toward reconciliation with the Gay community.
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“What I saw and experienced at Pride 2010 was the beginning of reconciliation. It was in the shocked faces of gay men and women who did not ever think Christians would apologize to them.”
I’m seeking relationship and honesty in my life as a Christ-follower. For so long I’ve been caught the trenches over which is more important: Truth vs. Grace. Some parts of my spiritual background included rigorous love of the truth – often at the cost of hurting the individual. In other seasons it’s been limitless grace, but weak on the challenge to live out God’s standards. Both had powerful qualities that were God inspired, but they both lacked the true intent of God’s design.
Right now I’m centering on this:
John 1:
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The perfect balance of Grace and Truth is in Christ… he knows us as we are (broken) but doesn’t leave us that way. Jesus fulfills God’s righteous requirement and gives us the tangible example of how we can become the righteousness of God as well.
I really want to be who God created me to be. For so long I’ve suffered under the impressions of who other people think I am. I’ve been misjudged, underestimated, overlooked, scrutinized, mistreated. But God is restoring me to my “created in His image and likeness” identity. He’s taken away the guilt and called me back to himself. BUT IT’S NOT EASY!! I’m used to sharing only part of me… the good parts. I’ve spent so many years keeping the ugly neatly tucked out of sight. How do I “…put off falsehood and speak truthfully to my neighbor…” (Eph. 4:25) about the stuff that in most Churches you’d be better off hiding?
I’m taking it day by day. I’m challenging myself to do life differently. To have real relationships where I’m totally honest about myself… and where it’s SAFE to do so… but also where I’m challenged to pursue what God has perused me for. This takes TIME… and I’m not going rush the process. I hope you’ll be one of those who come with me and we can do real life together!
Thursdays are usually pretty good days for me. On this Thursday in particular I was waiting for the Madison bus that would take me home. As I waited out of the corner of my eye my attention was caught by a woman crossing the street with a guitar around her neck and the case on her back. I wondered if she was coming from some music set but didn’t think much more about it. I’d turned around to look and see if my bus was coming when the lady with the guitar tapped me on the shoulder to give me a complement on my locs. It was then that I could see that she too had long locs peeking out from under a scarf tied around her head.
She introduced herself and I gave her my name, but me being bad with names didn’t quite catch it the first time. We began to talk and I asked her about her music. She then offered to play a song for me, but I let her know I didn’t have any cash that I could give. She was happy to share her song with me.
My bus came, but I decided to wait for the next one. I enjoyed her song, and she has a beautiful raspy voice and the most amazing green eyes (at least they looked green in the streen light). We talked a bit more, and she offered a me a piece of the cake she’d been given at starbucks. I took a piece and gave her a hug. She said I give good hugs.
Not long after that my bus came. I asked her name once again and she came on the bus to ask for directions to the 150 bus. The driver didn’t know but it gave her time to write down her name, number and a reminder to search for her on YouTube.
Her name is Kezban and I hope to see her again while she’s in Chicago. Just that short exchange was the perfect ending to a good day. Before I met Kezban I was pretty absorbed in the news that my check would be short $100. But for those few moments it made it not matter so much. It’s still a good day that God made… I can still rejoice and be glad. I’m glad I was open to talking to a stranger tonight.
Check out a video someone made of her and posted to YouTube
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