Soulforce Email Update - May 22, 2008

My hesitations about going to the Potters House Church in Dallas as a participant in the Soulforce, "American Family Outing" were quickly transformed as Grace and I and the other participants began to experience the warm hospitality of the leaders and members of the 30,000 member Church. Years ago, Grace and I "discovered" the Senior Pastor of the Potters House, Bishop T.D. Jakes as we tuned into religious TV. We could not help but be impressed by his communication skills that came garmented in the finest of preaching in the black tradition. As we often say, "he was able to tell the story" (of what God has done in Jesus Christ) in a way that embraced the listener." His use of the persons and personalities of the Bible in a way that made them our companions and sisters and brothers in our faith walks was powerful.

Bishop Jakes was unable to be present and meet with us, but our visit was a rich experience.

There were a few moments when my paranoia made me momentarily suspicious of the quality and quantity of the hospitality at the Potter's House. I remembered that old story of the psychiatrists attending a professional meeting who passed each other while walking one morning. One said "Good Morning" to the other. As they passed, the recipient of the "Good Morning" said to herself, "I wonder what he meant by that." For a moment I wondered if the hospitality was a deliberate effort to take from us our commitment to the rightness of same gender couple-led families.

But, my spirit would not allow my suspicions fed by paranoia, to take over. I have known "campus churches" but I have never seen a campus like that of the Potter's House - huge building and parking lot. Bill Carpenter, long-time Soulforce staff and participant who was the "minister of transportation" for us, demonstrated an amazing ability to disarm security personnel as he drove into the parking lot and tell them, with a smile in his voice, why we were there and who there was waiting to receive us. (The next time I am driving in an area noted for the danger of DWB, [Driving While Black], I will wish that Bill Carpenter was with me. Not because of his whiteness, but because of his person). As we entered the building we walked and walked and walked - made more difficult because of my limp and my cane (next time I will remember to bring and wear my leg brace to such an event). We received orientation, and were given the opportunity to ask questions as we waited for the service to begin. The service: Music and dance, music and dance, "my, my, my" how rich and splendid, despite the repetition. In addition to the dance, the highlight of the service for us was seeing clips from the movie "One night with the King" (The story of Esther) with the wife of the visiting preacher singing the song as a slice of the movie was projected (This was the finest "Bible Movie" Grace and I had ever seen. Before the service was over, those of us who were designated to meet with some of the staff of the Church left for the meeting.

"The Meeting": Early on, I sought to set forth the "why" of my commitment as an ally/advocate of LGBT persons and same gender couple-led families. I attempted to link my Civil Rights experience for racial justice to that of the justice struggle for Gay rights, but soon realized that our hosts were unwilling to engage in give-and-take on our disagreements. They sought to impact us with their ministry to HIV/Aids persons, but were unwilling to acknowledge that they acknowledge same gender persons as such, ill or not. All of our group raised questions and/or made helpful comments. Their expressed willingness to engage in further conversation, will I hope, receive a positive response from us soon. At the end of the meeting, Jeff Lutes, the Executive Director of Soulforce, had a telephone conversation with Bishop Jakes. Sitting next to Jeff I was able to hear and "feel" the affirmation expressed by Bishop Jakes for our willingness to dialogue, rather than confront. I did hear the Bishop express a concern that I have heard from other black pastors about how anti-hate legislation might curb their right to preach and teach their understandings of "Biblical Truth" as they interpret its meaning for same gender loving persons. I think over and over again how we must help all preachers understand how their negative "Biblical pronouncements" about LGBT persons harms and hurts LGBT persons and gives some violent persons rationale for their violence against them. It was the same for those preachers who preached racial segregation as being legitimated by Scripture. Many of them could never comprehend how their words from the pulpit energized the verbal and physical violence of the KKK against black persons.

My first hand experience with the "American Family Outing" of Soulforce at the Potter's House in Dallas confirmed my belief that the reality of "Family" in all of its many configurations when shared and experienced, has the capacity to break through the walls of prejudice and bigotry. Years ago as a boy in North Carolina I used to hear my Mother speak of a woman "with child" as being in a "family way." On Sunday, May 18th, representatives of Soulforce and the members of the Potter's House experienced a taste of the authenticity of what it means to be in a "family way."

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