This month’s worship theme ‘It’s Queer Up North’ has been fascinating and thought provoking. I really encourage you to listen to the sermons online on the ‘catch up’ tab at www.mccnewcastle.org.uk. One of the interesting questions we have been asking is whether there are LGBT stories in scripture. Sometimes there is a question mark over the translation of a particular word or phrase, which lends itself to a queer interpretation of a story, as in the story of the centurion asking for healing for his servant. In other stories, the individual has been acting in ways that went against the social norms of the time, such as Deborah or the male water carrier in Luke’s gospel. As in all reading of scripture passages, we can learn the facts of the passage – who it was written by, who it was written for, the context etc. We also read scripture for what it teaches us, or shows us on an emotional or spiritual level. The passages that we have been studying this month are no different.
The other theme that has been occupying a surprising amount of my time this month has been the Winter Olympics. Like many people, I was opposed to Russia holding this event, because of the state sponsored homophobia and violence that is evident there. The sports presenter Clare Balding was under pressure not to go to Russia. She issued a statement saying that she thought her presence as an out lesbian would be a stronger message than staying away. She also encouraged viewers to look out for protests from athletes and spectators alike. As I watched endless hours of snowboarding, skiing and anything else, I started to notice things. Gloves with different coloured fingers, a man at the top of the ski slope wearing rainbow earmuffs and so on. Maybe these were just random coincidences. Maybe the rainbow fingered gloves were just seen as pretty by the person wearing them. Or maybe, just like the passages in scripture that we have been studying, they were little glimmers of queerness in a world of heterosexual control.
Not so long ago, few voices would have been raised against the homophobia that is so evident in Russia. This month Google, Channel 4 and other companies have incorporated the rainbow flag into their own logo or in coverage of these Olympics in support of LGBT rights. Not long ago, most Christians would have said the Bible condemned homosexuality. Now, more and more Christians recognise that scripture does not condemn same sex relationships. The Bible hasn’t changed, our understanding has.
God bless
Cecilia
The other theme that has been occupying a surprising amount of my time this month has been the Winter Olympics. Like many people, I was opposed to Russia holding this event, because of the state sponsored homophobia and violence that is evident there. The sports presenter Clare Balding was under pressure not to go to Russia. She issued a statement saying that she thought her presence as an out lesbian would be a stronger message than staying away. She also encouraged viewers to look out for protests from athletes and spectators alike. As I watched endless hours of snowboarding, skiing and anything else, I started to notice things. Gloves with different coloured fingers, a man at the top of the ski slope wearing rainbow earmuffs and so on. Maybe these were just random coincidences. Maybe the rainbow fingered gloves were just seen as pretty by the person wearing them. Or maybe, just like the passages in scripture that we have been studying, they were little glimmers of queerness in a world of heterosexual control.
Not so long ago, few voices would have been raised against the homophobia that is so evident in Russia. This month Google, Channel 4 and other companies have incorporated the rainbow flag into their own logo or in coverage of these Olympics in support of LGBT rights. Not long ago, most Christians would have said the Bible condemned homosexuality. Now, more and more Christians recognise that scripture does not condemn same sex relationships. The Bible hasn’t changed, our understanding has.
God bless
Cecilia
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