“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is such a beautiful song. And it means so many things to so many people. It’s a song about looking for a promised land; it’s a song about longing for something better; it’s a song about hope.
We have just completed our annual stewardship campaign and it was a reminder to give God thanks for the many blessings that are ours; and I thank God and I thank you for your generosity. We belong to a God of abundance!
As we move forward in faith, I realize that we are not in a perfect economy. You may be going through some difficult times, emotionally, financially, at work, at school, in a relationship. We all have moments of struggles – that’s part of life. It’s how we respond to them that makes all the difference.
Paramahansa Yogananda said, “I will try to be happy under all circumstances. I will make up my mind to be happy within myself right now, where I am today.”
That is similar to one of my favorite Bible verses: “This is the day that God has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
And Paul said in the New Testament: “Rejoice in God – and again – I say rejoice!”
It was recently National Coming Out day – for some of you, you were born out of the closet and it was never an issue. That’s great! And for others of us, it was a struggle! It will be 15 years next month that I got kicked out of the church I was serving for almost 10 years. Why did I get kicked out? For coming out as a gay Christian man – unwilling to remain in the closet. Those years leading up to my coming out were not always easy. There were painful moments – especially as I was hearing from the church how the core of my identity was basically wrong and I was damned to hell for expressing who I was created to be.
There were many sermons, teachings, jokes and negative comments about homosexuality in the church where I grew up. It was not safe to come out of the closet. But I wanted to! And I did! And I don’t regret it for one second.
Since my coming out, there has been greater acceptance of same-sex relationships in the world and also in several churches. I’m glad for that – and yes – there’s still a long way to go. I’m so grateful that our church exists. I don’t know where I’d be today if it wasn’t for this place. Here you are not just tolerated – you are celebrated.
As a pastor, one of the great joys I have is being able to preside at weddings and Holy Unions. I celebrate love – in all of its forms! How exciting it was in 2008, during that brief window, where I was able to perform same-sex marriages – and be able to pronounce, by the power vested in me by Metropolitan Community Church and the state of California. It was always met with applause! Oh, I’ve come a long way from this theologically conservative Pentecostal boy from the Midwest – what a journey!
However, not only did I come out, and go through the process, but since then, many of my close heterosexual friends and family members have had to make that same journey with me. I applaud their courage and rejoice in their support.
However, there are many people, especially in many churches who are just so against anything that is gay – or LGBT! It seems that it is so fear-based.
Now, I don’t want to imply that all people who oppose same-sex relationships, or who oppose homosexuality in general, are bad people. Many of them are good people, trying to live according to their beliefs.
Something significant happened this past May. Our president has come out – publically – as stating he is in favor of same-sex marriage! That’s amazing! But talk about polarizing … people are either applauding or appalled.
But, the ones opposed to same-sex marriage usually base their beliefs on one of four reasons. Many people who oppose same-sex marriage cite a biblical reference against it as the reason for their opposition. Others say that a child needs parents of both sexes as role models, to develop in the most-healthy way possible. Still others cite nature, claiming that the natural form of love and sex is one male and one female, so that should be the normative and legally acceptable form. And, the last common reason used by opponents of same-sex marriage is an appeal to history. If marriage has always been between one woman and one man, then it should continue to be so.
Now, I have family members who believe these things, and I still don’t think that any of these reasons are legitimate, but are actually misunderstandings.
For example, the Bible verses most commonly used to oppose homosexuality are Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13. Both of these say something like, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman.” However, Leviticus chapter 20, verse 9 says, “All who curse father or mother shall be put to death;” and other passages from Leviticus outlaw beard trimming (19:27), tattoos (19:28), the eating of pork or shellfish (11:7, 11:10), and the wearing of two fibers at once (19:19).
According to Chip Roush, if everyone who used these Bible verses to decry homosexuality would also want to outlaw pork and tattoos, it would at least feel as if they were being consistent. And we haven’t even gotten to Exodus 21:7, which begins, “When a man sells his daughter as a slave …”
Virtually nobody believes in selling daughters into slavery, and few seriously want to put rebellious teenagers to death. If they are going to pick and choose which verses to take literally and which to ignore, then I say we ignore the ones about lying with men as with women too.
As for children needing two parents of the opposite sex, well, I know some children who were raised by same-sex couples who are wonderful human beings; and I know quite a few who were raised by opposite-sex couples who are … not so wonderful. And we know lots of single parents who are good parents, too, so this objection simply doesn’t hold water, either.
Besides, marriage is about more than just having or raising children. What about people who cannot, or who can no longer, have children. Shouldn’t they be allowed to marry also?
Now, when people say that homosexuality is not “natural,” I refer them to any one of many articles or books that show that homosexuality has been observed in 1,500 different species of animals, and well-documented in more than 500. Petter Bockman says, “No species has been found in which homosexual behavior has not been shown to exist, with the exception of species that never have sex at all, such as sea urchins.”
And within the human community, homosexuality is known to occur in virtually every culture we know. Bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender behaviors are “entirely” natural. Which leaves us only the historical argument – which is again, easily demolished.
The ancient Greeks and Romans both had forms of socially-sanctioned, same-sex relationships. Similar relationships occurred in ancient Asia, as well.
The first recorded mention of a same-sex marriage in the West occurred in the early Roman Empire, where Cicero records it in passing, as if it were commonplace. Other historians mention numerous gay weddings, and the practice seemed entirely common until Christianity became the official religion of the empire.
During the Middle Ages, there are many accounts of same-sex partnerships. These were not called marriages, but rather “enbrotherments,” and they even offered most of the benefits of today’s civil unions.
Finally, the historical argument brings us back to the Hebrew Bible, where we find written accounts of same-sex relationships. (See Religious Tolerance.org)
In the book of Ruth, after their men have died in a famine, Ruth tells her mother-in-law, Naomi, (Ruth 1:16) “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” In the King James translation, it says that Ruth “clave” to Naomi, (Ruth 1:14) using the same word that is used in the description of heterosexual marriage in Genesis: 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
The books of first and second Samuel describe a relationship between David, who was to become King David, and a man named Jonathan. I Samuel, 18:3-4 states, “And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David.” I must admit, many conservative theologians disagree with this interpretation, but I think it’s pretty clear: Jonathan loved David as himself, and then he got naked with him.
Later, Jonathan’s father finds out, and threatens to kill David, so David has to leave. The book describes their parting: (1 Samuel 20:41) “David got up … and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed one another and wept with one another, until David exceeded.” I’ll leave you to translate what that means, but I will say, it is evidently so dangerous that some modern translators deliberately mistranslate it as “they sadly shook hands.”
I think that arguments against same-sex relationships are rationalizations, which amount to little more than “I don’t like this, it makes me feel uncomfortable, and so I want it outlawed for all people.”
The good news is, that more and more people are seeing those reasons as the rationalizations they are, and more and more states and nations are granting same-sex rights.
Many of you here have come from churches where you were told that coming out of the closet would be a sin. That is was wrong. And if you’re like me, it caused you much heartache and anguish as you struggled to find hope and the good news in reconciling your sexuality and spirituality.
I’m here to tell you God loves you as you are! We are all children of God. God has no step-children!
Let’s receive the hope and love that God has for us. Let’s celebrate and spread the Good News of God’s inclusive love for all people.
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says God, plans for your welfare, your good, and not for your harm, to give you a future with hope … call upon me and I will hear you … search for me and you will find me.”
Somewhere over the rainbow … way up high. If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow why, oh why, can’t I!
Rev. Dan Koeshall is the Senior Pastor at The Metropolitan Community Church (The Met) in San Diego, California, themetchurch.org
