It is interesting to note that many "spiritual pilgrims" are leaving, and are seeking other faith systems, notably Buddhism, Hinduism, and yes, Islam.
Most of these pilgrims were the scions of families raised in Catholic or Greek Orthodox or Protestant families.
The vociferous theocratic right coupled with the ambivalence or silence of the religious "left", has made Christianity appear to the LGBT person as "the " leaders in the culture and legal and spiritual wars waged against us.
After four or five cruises, Rosie O'Donnell has released a documentary of her first cruise in 2004. In two separate episodes, the MCC minister marries a gay and then a lesbian couple, with five and two children, respectively.
The third is the "reception" in the Bahamas by theocon right protestors with Jesus on their lips and observable hatred in their hearts and minds. Children were crying as they heard adults villifying their parents and their families. It was both vulgar and the antithesis of the Christian message.
These words were, ironically and sadly, on the lips of African-descended men and women whose first associations with Christianity from Europeans was that they were sub-human and devoid of a soul, and were politically less than one white human being, and that Scripture supported their continued enslavement and breeding by animal husbandry standards.
African-descended politicians and clergy who stand with the theocratic right and leaders who fought MLK JR and opposed their human rights, including the last vestige to fall, interracial marriage - is actually obscene. This, especially when Strom Thurmond had an interracial daughter through the rape of his house servant when he was a young man. The elderly woman waited until the centenarian died to reveal it.
This is the closet and the behaviours that they wanted concealed from "polite society". Telling the truth to power and to bigots and haters is not antithetical to the spirit of non-violence.
I certainly believe in the power of prayer. I had a quadruple bypass three years ago following a myocardial infarction - the stress of living two lives did not contribute to good health....."mens sana in corpore sano".....
A week ago, my spouse felt an inflammation in my inguinal lymph node. This lymphoma will be surgically removed on Easter Monday. The pathologist will be in theatre ready to diagnose the tumour. Of course, the prayers of my spouse and child is for a cure, or better, no malignancy. My prayer also is for accepting the will of God in my life. I surrendered my life to Him decades ago. I was an acolyte at the age of seven...a road that eventually led me to my consecration/ordination as a bishop. It also led me on this current pilgrimage as an " Apostolic Successor on the road. " There is a saying, " Where the bishop is, there is the Church". At the present time, my cathedral is virtual, and my cathedra are the "stands that I take, and the places where I choose to sit."
The power of prayer.....in any belief system......is our conversation with God to ask for justice and love to prevail... LABORARE EST ORARE...St. Benedict...
