DAY 17

"Rainbow Across Yellowstone Lake" by David Grimes

LGBT people

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A Greeting
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
(Psalm 27:7)

A Reading
Owe no one anything, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery;
You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’;
and any other commandment, are summed up in this word,
‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a
neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
(Romans 13:8-10)

Music

 
Meditative Verse
Wait for the Lord; be strong,
and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
(Psalm 27:14)
 
A Reflection
  According to Jesus, the question isn't 'who is my neighbour?'
but 'to whom will I be a neighbour, to whom will I be a friend,
to whom will I be family? We are called to be allies to the
marginalized and the hurting in our world. Not just allies,
but neighbours. Not just neighbours, but friends, as Jesus was a
friend of even the sinners - and aren't we all the sinners. Not just
friends, but family, brothers and sisters. Not just family but to love
them as we love ourselves. And it doesn't get any more intimate
than that. That's empathy isn't it? To love someone as you love
yourself. To see the world through their eyes and have
that much love for them.
- transcription of a presentation by Justin Lee for the Gay Christian Network annual conference,
found on his blog, "Crumbs from the Communion Table"
 
Verse for the Day
Guard me as the apple of the eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
(Psalm 17:8)

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Uncredited image of gay Syrian refugees attending the opening of a shelter
for gay migrants and refugees in Berlin in February, 2016 found on sbs.com

'Love is the fulfilling of the law', says Paul in Romans 13. 'Love does no wrong to a neighbour'. He tells us that loving one another fulfills the law of Jesus' command to us in Matthew 22. We are commanded by Jesus to show love to our neighbour. In that sense, Paul says, it is a legal prescription. A question to ask ourselves is how much we feel bound to this commandment-law? And how much do we feel we can be discerning with it, offering it only in grades and versions we feel comfortable with? Jesus' law is about love, but the laws of nations can be anything but loving. These kinds of laws can be a great source of danger for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered refugees. Often traveling on their own and/or abandoned by families and communities, fear stalks their every step. It is a harrowing passage. LGBT people face the same fears and anxieties as all other refugees, but they also fear violence from within the refugee community, and also the country of asylum. The coming together of differing traditions in the camps causes cultural clashes where belief systems and values run into conflict. Although much of the world has decriminalized being gay, 75 countries, including those from which many refugees flow, maintain criminal status bearing imprisonment for gay people. Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan and parts of Nigeria and Somalia are all nations where being gay is punished by death. Paul's invocation of love as law reminds us that the laws of nations can be met in our hearts by the commandment of Jesus. 




This animated film describes the journey and experience
of a lesbian in Iraq who emigrates to avoid death.
(Click here to go to video.)

A group in Berlin have opened a shelter for gay migrants and refugees
who are in danger in camps or refugee communities.
(Click here to go to video.)

Finally, the Canadian feature documentary "Last Chance" (2012) follows five people
who are seeking asylum in Canada from persecution in their own country.
(Click here to find out more.)  

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Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto.
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