letmylightshinebright

[letmylightshinebright]

[letmylightshinebright]

I think what a lot of queer people that try to ostracise queer christians don't realise, is that queer christians have also been hurt by the church. A lot of the time, more so than non-religious queers. Additionally, there's something... kind of heartbreaking, that the queer community is meant to celebrate diversity, and inclusion, but when queer christians are involved, we're excluded from both the queer community, and a lot of christian communities. And it's almost ironic, because with the church, I know my queerness isn't welcome. Whereas with the queer community, they'll talk about accepting anyone regardless of identity, but do a complete 180 the moment I mention my religion.

"We need more complex queer identities"- You can't even handle queer christians.

[letmylightshinebright]

I saw something in the news today that truly took my breath away. If you have been paying attention to U.S. politics over the past few days, you’ve most likely seen this woman:

This is Bishop Mariann Budde, and on Monday (Trump’s inauguration) she led an interfaith prayer for Trump and the incoming administration. During the service she asked him to have mercy for LGBTQ+ Americans and undocumented immigrants. This was badly received by the Trump administration (as expected).

After seeing headlines about this woman, I read something that I wanted to share. In 1998 a man named Matthew Shepard was murdered for being gay. I’m not going to get into the details of his death on this post, but please be warned it is extremely triggering if you do choose to read more on your own. Matthew Shepard’s death caused a lot of change in the U.S. regarding how LGBTQ hate crimes are handled, and laws that were passed to protect LGBTQ+ people.

Now you’re probably wondering what Matthew Shepard has to do with an Episcopal bishop. For years after Matthew Shepard’s murder, his family had held onto his remains, too scared to lay him to rest in fear of his final resting place being vandalized. In 2018, Budde had his remains interred at the National Cathedral, which is also the place where the interfaith prayer for Trump and his administration took place. The impact of this really had an effect on me. Budde could have led a non confrontational prayer service, and chosen not to mention the harm that will come to the people Trump and his administration are going after. Instead she chose to call out hate and fear in front of some of the most powerful people on the planet, and at a place that has such a large historic meaning to the LGBTQ community.

In the next few years there will be many challenges in protecting free speech, standing up against hate, and protecting those in our communities. But I would like to believe that for every Donald Trump and Elon Musk, there are people like Marianne Budde. There are those of us who can’t speak up for themselves, so it’s important for those of us who can to amplify our voices, even if it’s not the ‘popular’ thing to do.

“And he said you should apologize. Will you apologize?

I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others.” - Mariann Budde’s response in a Time interview

Link to articles: x x x

Link to the Matthew Shepard Foundation if you would like to donate

[letmylightshinebright]

If you're a Christian and what Bishop Mariann Budde said offended you, then Christ isn't the one you're following.

[letmylightshinebright]

Mary never ascended up to heaven. Jesus Christ did. If you teach that, than you're making her into a god. That is blasphemous.

[letmylightshinebright]

just heard “turns out, shockingly, that you can’t pray away your gay thoughts because you can’t pray away your capacity for love” from a wise Christian queer man on a tiktok comp, and i thought it’d be wise to share

[letmylightshinebright]

Just wrote a one shot about Peter based on Kingdom come undone and I need to geek out about it because I have so many thoughts for only having writen ~600 words.

First off, when I started writing it, I did not know that in Matthew 16:19, RIGHT AFTER JESUS NAMES PETER, Jesus says "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven." And while I know that's not really the intended meaning I'm going absolutely feral over it.

On the note of things that make me feral: I am obsessed with trans Jesus. Not Jesus being trans in a literal sense (although that's cool too), but more just that he would relate to trans people based on his own navigation of divinity and humanity, etc. Also that fact that his entire death and resurrection can function as One Big Trans Metaphor.

Another part that just really means a lot to me is Jesus asking Peter his name, because it's inspired by an interaction I had in which a friend I didn't know very well asked my pronouns and without thinking I said "I don't know." It was the first time I introduced myself without using she/her pronouns and I don't even know what came over me to do it.

And then Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ being the precursor to Jesus declaring who Peter is!! Like that's just inherently part of the story and I didn't appreciate the beauty of that until I wrote this. It's one thing to picture how Peter would feel at having his identity declared and affirmed by Jesus, but what about how Jesus felt being seen by Peter?

[letmylightshinebright]

It's always important to pay attention to the Palestinian Christian community and now more than ever. I want to highlight Rev. Munther Isaac's sermon, God Is Under the Rubble In Gaza, that never left me since the day I read it. Rev. Munther is a brilliant voice for his community and never fails to call out Western Christians, especially Christian Zionists, for their blatant hypocrisy.

Bethlehem, and Palestine as a whole, is not a mythical fairytale land to attach your biblical fantasies to. It should not suffer under the weight of your biblical orientalism and your evangelist conspiracy theories. It is a real place with a struggling people who practice multiple faiths in a way that does not have to appeal to you. Its people take precedence over your imagination and your propaganda.

God is under the rubble in Gaza. He is with the frightened and the refugees. He is in the operating room. This is our consolation. He walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death. If we want to pray, my prayer is that those who are suffering will feel this healing and comforting presence.

We are broken. The people of Gaza are suffering. They have lost everything except their dignity. Many attained glory — they attained martyrdom — even if they did not ask for it. Now, again in our history, they find themselves facing the same choice: death or displacement. Our Nakba continues!

[letmylightshinebright]

12/23/2024

To be Frank...

The saints' RPG adventure continues every Monday and Friday through December!

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JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. Continuing from the last few cartoons, an angel is running a fantasy RPG for some saints in heaven, namely Sts. Thomas Aquinas, Joan of Arc, Francis of Assisi, and Nicholas of Myra. They're each introducing their characters now, and there's only one more to go! 2. In this cartoon, the angel asks St. Francis to introduce his character (again). Francis gives a very simple character description without much depth, which is perfectly fine for the beginning of a game, except that he hasn't given his character much of a reason to adventure. Francis proudly declares his character is very simple and uncomplicated, to which the angel merely grins and begins writing something down, presumably planning ways to complicate Francis's story for him.

[letmylightshinebright]

[letmylightshinebright]

Honestly. Christians should be more scared of "the wrath of God" then anybody. We, as professed Christians, have the boldness to claim the title of Christ for ourselves. To claim that we have been anointed by the Anointed One. We quite literally bear his name (title but wtv). Bearing his name in vain is literally one of the first 10 Commandments and if there is anything I would be more scared of breaking it would be that one.

All humanity images God (poorly or well) but it is Christians (as well as religious Jews and Muslims etc) who claim to bear the name of God.

The one's who should fear the wrath of God most are those who claim to follow him.

[letmylightshinebright]

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭38‬-‭39‬ ‭ESV‬‬

[letmylightshinebright]

a prayer for election day

dear Heavenly God,

i pray that You will be with all of America tomorrow, as we face one of the most intense and anxiety-inducing elections in many years.

please pour Your protection over those who are heading out to the polls. in this day and age where the far right is more radicalized than ever, even the simple act of going out and exercising our constitutional right to choose can be a scary experience.

God, i know it is Your will that truth, justice, and compassion should triumph over evil. however, we humans are flawed creatures. there are many out there acting in bad faith with selfish and hateful intentions, and that will almost certainly influence their votes.

so, i pray that You will empower those with minds and hearts rooted in justice to go out and make their voices heard, and that You will bring clarity to the undecided.

God, we leave our nation in your hands. although many would unfortunately believe that Your will is a fascist theocracy where only the most privileged have autonomy, those who truly have the spirit of Christ in them (whether they are believers or not) know that couldn't be farther from the truth.

You have sent Your son, Jesus Christ, to this world to remind us of what Your intent for us is: that we should love our neighbor, help those less fortunate, give shelter to those who seek it, and stand up for the oppressed. regardless of what some might think, this is the true image of a nation rooted in Christian values.

Almighty God, no matter what the outcome of this election is, i pray that Your will for truth, justice, light, and love will reign victorious and stamp out the forces of darkness.

we leave it in Your hands now, God. no matter what happens, may we remain faithful.

in Jesus name i pray, amen.

[letmylightshinebright]

Trans Christian

a flag 4 trans folks who are also Christian :]

[letmylightshinebright]

A real quote that really happened in my church's vestry meeting today.

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[letmylightshinebright]

I feel a lot of anger at but honestly a lot of pity for bigoted and hateful Christian’s too. I’m sorry they have been so brainwashed and blinded they cannot see their biggest commandment is to love and I want them to be free of that one day.