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August 2011
Jesus in Love Newsletter
LGBT spirituality and the arts
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In This Issue
Gay spiritual struggles
Blasphemy attack
Saints for same-sex marriage
Strong Biblical women
Jacob wrestling
Mary Magdalene
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Our Vision
Jesus in Love serves gay, lesbian, bi and trans (glbt) people who have spiritual interests, and our allies. We promote queer spirituality and the arts, with an emphasis on books and images. We believe that God loves all people, including sexual minorities. We believe that the creative process is sacred. We hope that the new visions, especially the gay Jesus and queer saints, will free people to experience the divine in new ways and lead to a more just world.

Greetings!
The challenge of uniting body and spirit is as old as Jacob wrestling with God, and as new as this newsletter. New and historical images shed light on LGBT spirituality in this issue.

Artist paints gay spiritual struggles  

 

A New Beginning by Wes Hempel Is that a gay angel weeping? Gay spiritual struggles are suggested in the work of Colorado artist Wes Hempel.

Some of his paintings address the clash between contemporary LGBT identity and religious tradition.  Others imply queer experiences of God through nature.  The beauty of his style reflects the holiness of humankind.  More info

(Credit: "A New Beginning" by Wes Hempel

Blasphemy: Conservatives attack us!
 
Lesbian Nativity Scene with Dog by Kittredge Cherry
Nasty accusations of blasphemy poured in yesterday (Aug. 5) when some conservative bloggers discovered the gay and lesbian Nativity scenes created by Jesus in Love founder Kittredge Cherry.

"Love..is NOT the criteria for making a 'Family'," commented one of the critics.  Others accused her of "vile blasphemy" that is "replusive to true Christians."

She made the queer Nativity video way back in 2009, but it's hot news now on some conservative blogs. More info
Saints for New York's same-sex marriages

St. Boris and George by Robert Lentz
Saint Boris and George must be smiling down on all the newlyweds in New York, where same-sex marriage became legal on their feast day July 24.

Boris was a married prince who had enormous love for his servant George the Hungarian. Their love ended in tragedy in 1015 in medieval Russia. May the New York couples have happier endings! More info

(Credit: "Saints Boris and George the Hungarian" by Robert Lentz, trinitystores.com)

Gentileschi shows strong Biblical women

Judith and Her Maidservant by Artemisia GentileschiBaroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi inspires many with her paintings of strong Biblical women -- created despite the obstacles that she faced as a woman in 17th-century Italy.   

 

Many queer people and our allies can relate to her battles against discrimination and sexual violence.  More info

 

(Credit: "Judith and Her Maidservant" by Artemisia Gentileschi)

Wrestling with God to join sex and spirit

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel by Leon BonnatWhen Jacob wrestled with the angel in the Bible, they embodied a conflict between body and soul.  Artists have created many homoerotic images of the scene.

 

The story of Jacob wrestling with the angel speaks powerfully to LGBT people who are  reconciling sexuality and spirituality. More info

 

(Credit: "Jacob Wrestling with the Angel" by Leon Bonnat)

The many faces of Mary Magdalene

The Damsel of the Holy Grail by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Is Mary Magdalene the greatest apostle, the sexiest saint, a repentant prostitute, the wife of Jesus or something even queerer?  Like LGBT Christians, she was close to Jesus, but got an undeserved bad reputation in the church for sexual sins.  See some of her many faces at the Jesus in Love Blog.

(Credit: "The Damsel of the Holy Grail" by Dante Gabriel Rossetti)
Give now: Donations $95 less than 2010

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Your financial support is needed now.  Donations are $95 less than last year at this time.  That's 12 percent.  

Jesus in Love also lost $25 a month recently when Amazon.com stopped advertising with California-based websites over a sales tax dispute with our state.

Help now by clicking the button below.  Thank you!
 
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Many thanks to the two donors who sent emergency funds to fix our computer in July!
Click for more highlights from the Jesus in Love Blog this month:

Saints Symeon and John: The holy fool and the hermit who loved each other

St. Wilgefortis: Bearded woman

I hope that you will continue to enjoy both the new and the old, knowing that the same Spirit enlivens every time and place.
Kittredge Cherry
JesusInLove.org