Our family has been grateful for the warm hospitality and
care found as new residents in Billings.
We came to this place, fully aware of the legacy of the “Not In Our Town”
movement, and the hard work shown in that movement to forge a community that is
loving and accepting of diversity. Our
own denomination, the United Church of Christ, revels in diversity as a gift of
God.
So I was sadly disappointed when I learned that one of the
young adults in our congregation was told that he is an “abomination” at the
mall this week. After he was
interrogated, presumably to assure the person making the statement that he is a
gay man, this hateful statement was made.
At Billings First Church, we affirm that this young man is a Child of
God. Even more so, he was a part of the
Search Committee to bring me Billings First Church, so I know him to be a kind,
loving, sensitive, and intelligent young man who brings so many gifts to
mission and ministry. He is adored by
many of the youth at our church and is already a favorite church leader of my
teenage daughter. He watches out for
her.
Name-calling is adolescent behavior. We chastise our children when we hear it to
help grow them into mature adults. I
encourage my sisters and brothers who are church leaders in other faith
communities to call a halt to such behavior.
It is hateful and wrong.
We are blessed that this young man can hear such hateful
statements and not let it get into his bloodstream. Suicide rates among lesbian, gay, bi-, and
transgender (LGBT), teens, however, are higher than other teens, particularly
when they do not live in supportive environments. A Columbia University study stated that LGBT
teens living in supportive environments are 25% less likely to attempt
suicide. Anti-bullying statements and non-discriminatory
policies lead to drops in teen suicide rates.
They matter.
At Billings First Church, love and acceptance are not
neutral terms. The environment we
create, the ecosystems we maintain, the communities we forge matter. I encourage the leaders in other faith
communities and at city hall to forge a community that brings an end to such name-calling. May love endure.
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