Fabulous Ones,
This Sunday is National Coming Out Day. I remember being in DC for the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (which included the second display of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt after a four-month, twenty-cities US tour) while I was performing a play on Dupont Circle. Sadly and wonderfully, the quilt had grown from 1,920 panels to 8,288 panels in one year. It now has over 50,000 panels and covers 1.2 million square feet (equivalent to about 50 miles long if laid out end to end). I also participated in the unfolding ceremony and the reading of names. It was both an exciting and somber time where we found joy in the midst of suffering. It was about visibility and inclusion.
Which leads me to this week’s Scripture, which is Matthew 22:1-14 (The Parable of the Wedding Feast and the Unwelcome Guest) – a continuation of Jesus and his parables.
Many of us know what it is like to be an unwelcome guest, especially in church. Even with all the strides made in thirty-eight years, we are still limited by, judged, and excluded from the full participation and celebration of our bodies and lives. And I am speaking to everyone, not just those who identify as Queer. We all carry something to come out about.
I look forward to sharing a deeper reflection on this Scripture and topic this Sunday morning. Bring your fabulous selves and join us on 1130 Balclutha, Zoom or Livestream at 10 am. Invite another fabulous soul to share in the celebration and to be surrounded by a community of love.
Out and yours,
Rev. Michael