i had to say it

Several friends sent this over yesterday and I watched it and felt the greatest sadness and anger. Maybe it was a culmination of this and an associate in the gospel music industry who recently came out and has had all sorts of public fallout from HIS associates, but I have spent the past year and a half attempting to be quiet. I experienced much fallout after a year of speaking my truth. Things are finally rebuilding and are actually better than the ever were.

But for me to see something like this and not say anything is just impossible.

I was having a conversation with an author friend of mine this past week who writes in the Christian market. We disagree on many things, but have found that place of commonality with one another where we don't need to agree to love each other. We were discussing the coming out of a particular gospel artist and her issue wasn't that he came out, but rather that he wants to be a traditional Christian and be 'out'. Her question was how does he navigate using the Bible and being 'out'. I'll get to my response in a minute...

Then I see this Tyra video. Lord where do we start. This poor 16 year old child. These people use the Bible to frighten and scare people into seeing things are particular way at the cost of their peace of mind...literally robbing them of the possibility of joy in their lives. What happened to living 'life and life more abundantly'. To hear this child speak and to see the sadness in his eyes is one of the greatest travesties I've ever witnessed. It flashed me back to my own childhood. I know exactly how this young man feels. I've lived it.

To hear his supposed prophet speak and the way that they use the Bible to promote this emotional torture is apppauling, but not shocking. This is the same Bible that has been used to support wars, mass killings, the abuse of women, slavery and any number of crazed delusions that have caused blood shed over the past thousands of years.

I believe that mainstream Christianity is dangerous. And this is coming from someone who loves them some Jesus. At some point, we have to take some weight off of the Holy Bible and simply take some lessons in logic and personal responsibility. I believe that the Bible is a wonderful guide, but it cannot be used in a literal manner. When it is, this is when it becomes dangerous. I mean, honestly, people have enough sense to not stone their children when they disobey, but it seems to end there. If one law cannot be taken literally and we write it off the the customs of the time, then why can't we take that evaluation of the words spoken a bit further?

It frightens me that this child believes that his gay demon was driven out, but even though the demon is gone (like magic!), he still has to go through this mysterious process before the feelings REALLY go away. The same people also believe that one day a trumpet is going to sound and everyone who believes is going to start flying in the air to go to heaven. Dead people will rise out of their graves and ascend as well. Like...really? I used to believe this...then one day the light bulb went on.

If Jesus is the founder of the faith, why are we more interested in what the other writers in the Bible have to say over what He actually said? Jesus preached a message of love without judgement. The only judgement he ever had was of the religious leaders. And he cleared the temple out.

So, when my friend asked me how I balanced the Bible with my belief, my answer was simple: I don't. The Bible is a book. Was it inspired? Of course. But no more inspired that James Baldwin, Ntozake Shange, Emily Dickinson...hell...or me for that matter. We are all inspired beings and the inspiration that comes from us is shaped by the God that we know and experience. It doesn't make one's perception the 'right' one...but rather, it makes them individual.

This is what I feel the danger in the modern church is. They become cultish because they point you to one person (and not Jesus) who then steers you to believe that their perception of God is the one that is right and good. It may be, but it isn't YOUR perception. Don't just accept something someone says because they are charismatic and you believe they have a direct line to God that you don't realize you have too. Listen. Go inside. Hear what the Spirit is saying.

I believe that there is one way. God. Spirit. Beyond that He/She has many names.

Find your way home.

I think this Labelle song says it all.