June 19, 2016

Helen Jacobi

Auckland Rainbow Community Church Memorial Service for Orlando         

Romans 8:31-39     Matthew 5:1-12

One week on from this massacre the world is still in shock I think. The people of Orlando certainly are only just beginning to try and understand what happened to them. With the benefit of social media we are able to follow people’s thoughts and reactions and that can be overwhelming at times.

On the one hand it brings us close to others across the world, which is a good thing; on the other hand it can mean these events can feel too close and be very upsetting to us; which is not so good; and so we gather tonight for our own support as a community and to reach out from that base of support to those in Orlando.

Some of the conversation across the world and in the US has been – was this an attack specifically on the LGBT community? – some commentators have been criticized for downplaying this aspect of the events – for whatever reason.

We stand tonight and recognize that yes, it was an attack on a gay bar and on the gay community. And to gloss over this is to continue to deny the reality of homophobia in our societies.

There has been a particular conversation about this in the church media in the US. Bloggers and preachers have been saying – do not say you are praying for the victims in Orlando if the week before you were preaching against marriage equality or not allowing gay people in the leadership of your church.

Rachel Held Evans, an American writer said this week:

“Just understand why some LGBT folks don’t fall all over themselves with gratitude when a Christian leader who has consistently demeaned and ostracized them suddenly calls for empathy. There was a body count before Sunday. It’s far easier to weep over a shocking massacre committed by a person claiming another faith than to weep over the millions of small cruelties committed by those in your own community. We can do better. Let’s start today.”[1]

And a priest from Scotland, Kelvin Holdsworth said: “Religion is not a special category. Faith based homophobia shouldn’t be off limits to those fighting for a more equal world. If anti-gay views can be tackled in healthcare, the police and even the armed forces, who have made tremendous progress, then it must be tackled in pew, pulpit and mosque as well.

Religious people wanting to pray today, comment today and make things better on this day when America’s worst multiple shooting has explicitly targeted those who are gay need to face up to some uncomfortable truths about where anti-gay views are most nourished. Those trying to represent the love of God in the world need to remember that in order to be in any way helpful today they need to be explicit about welcoming gay people and working for gay rights. It isn’t enough to weep with those who suffered violence in Orlando this weekend without a commitment to tackle the roots of that violence tomorrow.”[2]

We echo those comments here tonight and to our churches, and say we need to work faster and harder on getting rid of our ridiculous prejudices and rules that exclude.

The ARCC has worshipped in this place for decades and has been a haven for those excluded from their own churches. We honour you tonight.

We need to look no further than the Bible readings we are about to hear for encouragement in our quest for inclusion and equality. Our readings both name the reality of suffering and persecution, which was all too familiar to the first Christians; and they name the presence of God within that suffering; and they name the hope which is ours.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”[3] – meaning God is with those who suffer in the name of truth and love; and “nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God”[4]; nothing.

We celebrate that love tonight – love of God – love between people – love shared in families, in couples of all descriptions. As the hashtag goes #loveisloveislove.

[1] https://www.facebook.com/rachelheldevans.page/posts/10153956026774442

[2] http://thurible.net/2016/06/13/not-enough-prayfororlando-people-faith-must-fight-homophobia/

[3] Matthew 5:10

[4] Romans 8:39