1/19/2009

To Pray or Not to Pray

I have been feeling a little guilty about not ranting and raving over the fact that Pastor Rick Warren will be giving the inaugural prayer tomorrow.

I have not read all of his Purpose Driven Life, but my daughter and her father have read it together.

I really do not agree with a great deal of what Pastor Warren espouses, but I embrace the tension that his inclusion is creating.

When I was hired by Bishop Cabell Tennis, it took me a long time to embrace tension as a way of positive change. I used to run from tension and conflict. Cabby embraced it.

(Don't get me wrong, I still would rather have people getting along.)

Later on, I had the privilege of working along side The Rev. E. James Lewis. His gift to me was that embracing the teachings of Jesus should not be comfortable.

It should be difficult. It should be tiring. It should be challenging. And Jim taught me something else.

I need to know what the "other" opinions and teachings are. I need to find what is common between what, on the surface, is different.

In this month's Notes from under a Fig Tree, Jim tackles this subject as well. After reading it, I realized that he has taught me well. Here is a portion of what he wrote.

Melissa Ethridge To The Rescue

I believe that we are waking up from the spell
That those that profit from the fear
Cast so well
And good people of the earth now can tell
There is no us and them.

Those are a portion of the lyrics from Melissa Ethridge’s song, “What Happens Tomorrow.” Ethridge has a lovely voice. She is lesbian, with a partner and children. On top of that she is a breast cancer survivor. “The cancer,” she says, “gave me a lot of power. I learned that I’m a lovable human being and that I have a purpose. I wanted to show how if you walk through fear, you’ll find amazing stuff on the other side.”

Perhaps that walk through fear, along with her own self-discovered purpose in life, is what played a part in her decision to give public support for Rick Warren as the official pray-meister. Perhaps it helped that she met with Warren in her home and heard him say that he regretted the derogatory comments he made about gay people. Perhaps she came out in support of Warren because she met a human being capable of change, a leader able to help others change their minds. I think, also, that other barriers came down when Warren shared the fact that his wife was also a breast cancer survivor. And it certainly didn’t hurt when he told her that he owned all her records and loved her voice.

To all my readers who blanched at Obama’s selection of Rick Warren’s role, I can only say, take a deep breath and find a bridge over your fear. I believe the Obama circle will be large enough for some exciting tensions and, therefore, plenty of room for folks to experience a change of heart and a change of policy that will reflect the beliefs we care about. We have to confidently know that there is no way to turn back the mighty stream of justice that is destined to bring full rights to gay people, sustain a woman’s right to choice, and deliver a stem-cell policy that is sane and life-giving. We must embrace the conviction that there is a Spirit at work in us and in history—call it God’s Spirit, if you like—capable of changing the hearts and minds of people with differing views.

Call me crazy or a turncoat to the cause, but I think that Rick Warren will wind up as an ally, along with some of his followers. Lord knows, I’m not the man I used to be. I’ve undergone many changes in my life, and I’ll bet my readers also have undergone a few changes of heart over the years.

Yes I have.


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