I'm a pretty avid follower of soccer, both here in the States and in Europe. It hasn't been the best year for soccer, though, as racism and homophobia have made appearances over and over and over and over and over, in many cases overshadowing whatever actually happens on the field.
I have to admit--the "ism"s are tarnishing my favorite sport, and, in the interest of full disclosure, they are also tarnishing my favorite holiday: Christmas. It doesn't overshadow what actually happened on Christmas (or, you know, whenever Jesus was born. The Bible doesn't actually state His birthday.) but it does put a damper on what Christmas spirit I currently have.
Lest this come across as too sanctimonious or smug, I do not have an especially politically correct sense of humor. I make no claims to being remotely enlightened on the subject of race relations or queer inclusion. As a heterosexual man, I recognize that I am writing and ministering from a place of unearned privilege. And though I possess a distinct, non-European ethnicity, I self-identify as Caucasian.
But I also have come to believe in diversity as something not to be tolerated, but to be affirmed and celebrated.
And it is because I have accepted this singular notion as true that I'm kinda upset right now.
Some of that is for more superficial reasons--such as, it's been driving me nuts that I have a hard time finding Christmas cards that have angels who look anything other than incredibly, ridiculously, unbelievably Nordic.
Some of it cuts deeper, though. I expected a backlash to the passage of Referendum 74, the ballot measure in the state of Washington which legalized same-sex marriage. And I've seen that backlash--in comments from people around town, in news stories across the country, and in letters to the editor of our local paper.
But I've been taking it more personally than I thought I would. I haven't before had a colleague and friend attacked in the local paper like Rene was this morning. At least when letter writers were responding to the letter we both signed, I was being attacked as well.
Yet it still stokes my temper. It still puts a barrier between me and the hope, peace, joy, and love I am supposed to be preaching about during the church season of Advent.
After roadtripping up to Seattle last weekend to see a production of the play Black Nativity, I'm wondering how we all can actually live the kind of Gospel spirit I saw on display there. The encore was an amazing rendition of "I Need You to Survive," which might just be one of my favorite Christian songs ever.
One of the lines in that song, "I won't harm you with words from my mouth" is what I'm struggling with.
Because it is an unfulfilled promise.
Because it is an unachieved goal.
And because it is something that I fail at as well.
But I'll keep trying.
And I just need to know that we all will...that we will all continue to improve in God's grace as we stumble on towards Bethlehem together.
Yours in Christ,
Eric
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