Once again I've been accused of blasphemy. This time the target is the Rainbow Christ Prayer that I wrote with gay theologian Patrick Cheng.  I honestly thought this was less "blasphemous" than my previous writing because the prayer doesn't say that Jesus is queer.  However a group called Americans for Truth about Homosexuality went ballistic over the mention of "Erotic Christ."

They posted an attack titled Blasphemy 101: 'Lesbian Christian' Kittredge Cherry Offers 'Rainbow Christ Prayer.'

The conflict sparked a dialogue with some wonderful comments of support.  I try to stay focused on the positive, such as these:


At times like this I call upon this part of the Rainbow Christ Prayer:

Liberator Christ, you are our Voice, speaking out against all forms of oppression. Free us from apathy and grant us the grace of activism. With the blue stripe in the rainbow, motivate us to call for justice.

Click for more info or direct link to Americans for Truth attack

Why the Passion is important

I am working hard on the introduction to an art book about "The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision" by Doug Blanchard.  I thought it would be simple to include a paragraph about why the Passion is important, without resorting to any clichés.  Ha!  You are the first to read what I came up with so far :

The purpose of reflecting on the Passion is not necessarily to worship Christ, but to remember with compassion the endless crosses upon which people continue to be crucified. Blanchard's paintings make explicit the connection between Christ's crucifixion and all violence, particularly today's anti-gay violence in the name of religion.  Like so many other prophets and liberators, Jesus was killed by the forces that oppose love, justice, equality, and freedom.  LGBT people often identify with the hurt and humiliation that Jesus experienced on the cross.  Jesus himself said, "Whatever you did to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did to me."  In that sense, it is entirely appropriate to see Christ in the faces of people who are scapegoated and attacked for being queer.  The cross is a powerful Christian symbol that can transform lives, but its misuse has done much damage.  The Passion gives viewers the opportunity to stand as compassionate witnesses at the cross.

It may be painful to see the violent death of Jesus, a great man gone too soon due to human evil, but his sacrifice gains meaning when it inspires people to do better. For Christians it redeems a broken world. Jesus embodies the mythic archetype of the hero who leaves the ordinary world, faces deadly challenges on a difficult journey, and returns with power to benefit others. The story resounds in the human spirit. Remembering can bring wholeness.

 

(Image credit: "Jesus Dies" by Douglas Blanchard) (Special thanks to gay spirituality author Toby Johnson and his mentor, comparative religion scholar Joseph Campbell, for teaching me about the hero archetype.)

Pauli Murray: New queer saint makes an impact
A new queer saint was voted into the Episcopal church this month: Pauli Murray, civil rights pioneer and the first black woman to be an Episcopal priest.  Her lesbian (or trans?) side is less well known.  

My profile of Pauli got a lot of hits because other news reports mostly ignored her recognition in the rush to cover the Episcopal approval of transgender priests and same-sex blessings -- also good news.  

I love it when my writing causes a ripple effect as readers take action based on what they learn at my blog.  For example, my profile inspired Trudie Barreras to read Pauli's memoir "Proud Shoes" and review it on Amazon.com.  You can see her review at this link.

Kitt & Audrey at Senior Prom: Better late than never

My beloved Audrey put on her top hat and took me to the "Senior Prom" at the Los Angeles Lesbian and Gay Center recently.  It was a dinner dance for seniors (over age 50) -- a chance to make up for not getting to be a same-sex couple at our high school proms.  We had a blast!

Watch for a piece on queer grace headlining the August Jesus in Love Newsletter.
 
I often write about the need for a queer Christ to counteract the damage done by homophobes in Christ's name.  So I was struck by this quote from Pauli Murray:

"There is no Black Christ, no White Christ, no Red Christ - although these images may have transitory cultural value. There is only Christ, the Spirit of Love."

I must agree.  The images of the gay Jesus and queer Christ are valuable now, but I look forward to a day when LGBT people are so universally welcome that the queer Christ becomes obsolete.

Until then, thank you for helping me affirm LGBT spirituality and the arts for the many readers who need to hear this message now!

 

Blessings,

 

Kittredge Cherry 

Kittredge Cherry is a lesbian Christian author and art historian whose books include "Art That Dare: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More." She was ordained by Metropolitan Community Churches.  She writes regularly about LGBT spirituality and the arts at the Jesus in Love Blog. Full bio