The witness of LGBTQ+ People
In my life, LGBTQ+ people have taught me about the sacredness of being true to oneself despite the cost. This matters because when we accept the parts of ourselves that others have tried to change or silence, we are really accepting a particular revelation of God. For this reason, in my work as an editor at the National Catholic Reporter, I have found great value in amplifying queer voices. And I can’t help but think of these and other friends when reading today’s Scriptures.
Here, Jesus utters some of his hardest words: whoever loves family more than Christ is not worthy of Christ at all. For many queer people, to be worthy of Christ—to embrace the parts of God they uniquely embody—has asked painful things of some familial relationships. While plenty of families warmly celebrate LGBTQ+ identities, many of my gay and transgender friends have had to cling to the Gospel in the face of harm or rejection. For what is the Gospel if not the good news that the most intimate, vulnerable parts of us are perfectly loved by God?