Again from Robert Bertram in "Confessing as Appealing for/to the Oppressed" in A Time for Confessing.



What was then at stake, in other words, in the struggle between "slavery" and "freedom" was the question of people's ultimate worth; what value of their own, if any, entitles them to life rather than death? And what assurance have they of being so valued? Such questions had assumed particular poignancy in that "time for confessing" because the dominant system of secular-religious authority, as the confessors encountered it, was oppressive most of all in how it ascribed value, ultimate value, preferentially to some persons rather than others on the strength of their religious and moral performance.

There must be great concern among us when some people are more valued than others. Another way of saying this is even more contrary to the good news of the Reign of God, that is, some people are to be valued less than others. Less in such a way that they are denied full participation within the body of Christ simply because of their gender identity and/or the people they love and to whom they are attracted. For in this case, they are considered less in their being. Even if they would live within the same relational guidelines and boundaries, they are not valued on par with others. On many fronts within the church GLBT saints are not considered saints and their value - their ultimate value - is dismissed...unless, of course, they can turn around and "act" differently. Usually the oppressive powers would say "be" different. They forget that no one can be different. A GLBT saint is all that s/he is to be - a whole person beloved of God and a follower of Jesus. This is not an issue of morality. When we talk of morality, then we can put all of us into the same boat and say "this" or "that" is how we live with the Reign of God. Unfortunately, too few will speak as though we are all saints without qualification. When we waffle in such a way, we become a part of the oppressive structure that is involved in the destruction of life - we become proponents of death not the life we have been handed in Christ.

Connection: There really are people who are dying under the oppression of cheap theology that will not stand only on what is necessary.

Lord of Life, we call on your power of love to be the spirit of our life together. Nurture in us the vision of your Reign that sees the wideness of your grace and the fullness of your mercy. Amen.