Quote of the Day

"When I was a boy I asked God please make me normal and the prayer never got answered and I realized why. Because God would've made somebody else he wouldn't have made me."

- Father Geoffrey Farrow

Coming out against Proposition 8, and coming out to his church.

Thank you Father Geoff. And God Bless You.

Love Comes Back!

Happy Easter to everyone! Today the Lord is Risen!!

I'm sure some will find this an odd post, but it is what it is.

I didn't give up anything for Lent. My will power is not good. I travel a lot and trying to give up chocolate, meat, etc just didn't seem practical, and let's be honest, my track record in the past for "giving things up" for Lent hasn't been good. So this Lent I decided to try to do something a bit more proactive. And so I decided that I would go to church every Friday evening (when I was in DC) and attend the Stations of the Cross at St. Thomas'. So for every Friday in Lent (save one), I was one of the very few people who attended this service. Who chanted as we made our way around the church and listened to the last day and last words of Jesus Christ. And it was an interesting time for me to sit and listen, to think, and just meditate on God, Jesus, and the church in general.

Today I attended St. Thomas as usual, but I was an usher. And it was a busy day to be an usher. It was standing room only and we had our hands full with helping out with the collection, guiding people to communion, etc. So busy in fact that I didn't really get a chance to listen to the service, or enjoy it. Or even think about it much.

But I got home and as I am wont to do, I started with my blog roll. Those blogs that I go to all the time. The political ones (Americablog, Andrew Sullivan, etc), the personal ones (Jimbo, Joe.My.God), and then the religious blogs. And yes I read religious blogs. I usually turn to Father Jake's to get the latest on "As the Anglican World Turns" (and what a soap opera it has been lately), but this week he's offered up pieces of scriptures for Holy Week. Different pieces and asks his readers to read the scripture, to say it out loud, and to try to reach out to the piece, the word, the phrase that means something to you.

Today's scripture focused on Mary Magdalene, coming to the tomb after Jesus is buried, and discovering that his body is gone. Mary is consumed by grief and then Jesus appears before her (though she doesn't recognize him at first) and asks her why she is crying. Jesus so loved Mary, and the other disciples as well, that even after his death he came back to them to succor them. And while the scripture talks about how Jesus came back, somehow in my mind I had translated it to "Love Comes Back." And it made me think that even in our darkest hours, even when we've given up hope, that we will not be abandoned and left alone to perish. Loves Comes Back. That really is the Good News of the Lord!

The Lord is Risen. Alleluia, Alleluia.

"Premium Rail???"

Isn't that an oxymoron? But I had to ask. I wasn't going to pay $26 for two drink at the Uber-hip Lounge (aka Halo). So I asked about the new 2 for 1 drink special. And the 2 for 1 drink special is for beer, wine, and "premium rail". So I asked for a couple of drinks with Grey Goose, but was told that Grey Goose wasn't part of the "premium rail." So we settled for some lesser vodka. Oh the horror! But with a little bit of alcoholic lubrication, I had a good time chatting with Superlawyer who left after ONE drink. Hello what am I going to do with my 2 for 1 special? Why I ordered a drink for myself after he left. And then sat there and read email at the bar while sipping my cosmo. Does that make me sophisticated, or a loser? Yes, I know. A bit L.

So needless to say I wasn't thrilled by New Hampshire. I was hoping the Obama would win and shut down the competition. Give him time to build a great coalition of democrats, republicans, and independants while the republicans slug it out pushing themselves farther and farther to the right. But no HRC won. And I really don't know what to make of the the crying scene. Part of me thinks it was a cold, calculated move by HRC to show some vulnerability and provide some empathy to her hard exterior. But here's the deal. I just don't think it was real. I think she's become too good of an actor and has just played us all. Which is kind of sad really.

The funny thing? Apparently the day after New Hampshire, the Obama campaign was FLOODED with people donating money. So that's a good sign. I think he can win NV and SC. But Super Tuesday is going to be a blood match. And we all know HRC won't go down without a fight. A no-holds bar fight that will definitely hit below the belt. And do you really want someone who will do what ever it takes to win the election? Don't you want someone with ethics, and morals, and beliefs that they won't sell out?

Oh, on the Anglican front, I wish I lived in Canada! Go Canucks!!

For The Bible Tells Me So

I went to go see this tonight. I'm so glad I did. It was touching and moving and just amazing. And I actually learned some things also. One of the major players in the film is Bishop Robinson and I thought back to the summer of 2004, the summer his election to the Diocese of New Hampshire had to be consented to by the Episcopal Church's General Convention. Dad and I were on a Backroads trip in Denmark and after a long bike ride, we would relax in the room watching a bit of the tube. And usually watching BBC. Being British, the General Convention was getting lots of coverage. And I remember my father using such hurtful ugly language and me getting mad. Wanting to tell him that I was just like that person he was denigrating and denouncing. But I didn't. I told him that I had friends that were gay and that I didn't appreciate his language. That he made himself sound stupid and hateful when he used such language. That he knew better and then I walked out of the room lest I say anything else. I wasn't ready to be that honest with him.

Honesty. Integrity. These words were used a lot in the movie and oddly enough I thought about the latest right wing republican gay sex scandal. But to be honest, it's not really a gay sex scandal. This sad man has wrapped himself up in a series of lies, built his life around them, believed in his own ability to separate himself from the reality that includes his same sex attraction. It doesn't mean he's gay. Like Mr. Wide Stance, I don't think he's gay. In this context, I will say that being gay is a lifestyle. Being gay is being open and honest with yourself, living with integrity. But he can't say that. And because he can't rip apart the foundations of the lies that he's based his life on, he can't be open, or honest, or live with any type of personal integrity. Instead, he has to have furtive and all to often illegal or dangerous sex to deal with his same sex attraction. It really is sad.

And I can see how it can happen. I really do feel sad for the man.