Reflections – Beth Ann Tieche
For so long I have felt my voice and spirit in conflict with the Bible and with God on the issue of homosexuality. This is because I have been told for years that the Bible says homosexuality is wrong, that God views homosexuality as a sin,that real Christians believe gays go to hell. In my heart I have always felt otherwise, and in my mind, I have been trapped in a conundrum. How could a loving and good God condemn some people’s love as a sin when, in fact, God made them to love in that way? This has been my frustration, and a major hurdle in my faith. Though it is only one aspect of faith—and I’ve often had friends tell me that I just need to overlook it—for me it has been a consuming aspect of faith, and I have never been able to get away from it. At times in my life I have become resolved to thinking that if God is one who condemns gay love, then why would I ever want to be a part of such a faith? How could I ever see such love as a sin? I felt that if there wasn’t room for everyone—my family, my friends, the whole LGBT community—then there really wasn’t room for me either.
I didn’t want to support that kind of exclusion.
The Room for All conference has finally brought me some peace on the issue. In many ways it was a spiritual awakening for me. Honestly, for the first time in my life, the conundrum that has limited my faith for years melted away. No longer did I have to feel that my voice conflicts with God’s voice. I appreciated the acknowledgment of the historical context of the Bible passages that are often used to condemn homosexuals, and the emphasis that God does not address sexual orientation or committed homosexual relationships. Those hateful voices condemning love are not God’s voice.
For me, the worship services on Thursday night and Saturday morning were the most powerful parts of the conference. I had not felt close to God in that way for such a long time, or possibly ever. In feeling God’s acceptance and appreciation of all people, I finally felt that I deserved to be loved and appreciated by God as well. In hearing that there was room for everyone in God’s house, I finally felt that there was room for me and that that was something of which I wanted to be a part.
I also appreciated the workshop on Saturday morning that taught us about how to write our own stories. It was remarkable to see how leaders of the conference took their vision for an open and affirming church, and turned the vision into action. Through Room for All, they nurtured a community in the RCA for LGBT Christians and supporters. Furthermore, by providing conference goers with a specific toolset to open minds and change hearts, they prepared us to create change in our own communities and churches. Thus, they taught us how to work within the system that already exists to create change and promote equality. Overall, it was a remarkably inspirational, touching experience for me that has left a lasting impact.
(Student at Hope College)