Sonrise

Betrayed, tortured, executed, and abandoned. The betrayer taking his own life. And a wealthy follower provides the burial, his close friends deny and flea into the shadows, awaiting the knock that can mean the end of their own life. This is the journey from Good Friday through Holy Saturday, a time of disruption and not knowing, of non-entities being further oppressed (and why, this year it is such a healing moment the church can embrace that Trans Day of Visibility, and Easter share the calendar).

As the sun is coming up, the women come, after having watched the tomb sealed by Empire so as to ensure the story of Creator Sets Free return (like Lazarus, Father Martin SJ’s most recent book explores this story wonderfully) could not happen.

or could it?

Then, on the first day of the week following the Day of Resting, as the sun began to rise, Strong Tears (Mary) of the village of Creator’s High Lodge (Magdala) and Brooding Tears (Mary) went to see the burial cave.

2Suddenly the earth began to shake, and a spirit-messenger from the spirit-world above came down from the sky, walked to the burial cave, rolled the stone away—and sat down on it! 3He was shining as bright as a flash of lightning, and his regalia was pure white like freshly fallen snow.

4The soldiers staggered back, trembling with fear, and fell to the ground like dead men.

5-6“Do not fear!” the spirit-messenger said to the women. “The one you are looking for is not here. Creator Sets Free (Jesus), who was killed on the cross, has come back to life again—just as he said. Look! Here is where they laid him. 7Now hurry and go tell his followers that he has risen from the dead. Tell them he is going ahead of them to Circle of Nations (Galilee), and they will see him there. Now remember what I have told you!”

The words echo, in the Gospel of Mark (16:4-8), the original ending is simply:

But when they arrived, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled away. 5When they went inside the burial cave, they saw a young man, dressed in a pure white garment, sitting to the right side of the cave. This filled the women with fear that covered them like a blanket.

6“Do not fear!” the young man said to them, “The one you are looking for is not here! Creator Sets Free (Jesus) from Seed Planter Village (Nazareth), who was killed on the cross, has returned to life. See for yourselves. Here is where they laid him. 7Now go and tell his followers, and Stands on the Rock (Peter), that he is going ahead of them to Circle of Nations (Galilee). It is there that they will see him again—just as he told them.”

8Terror and amazement came upon the women, and they ran as fast as they could from the burial cave

This idea of leaving the empty tomb, and the question left before us what would we do? How do we empower and elevate the voice, that was beyond voiceless at this time, as it was the women’s voice?

Much like the Trans voice today as both corporate, political and religious empire attempt to silence and exterminate from the commons, and yes even from existence (just note the rise of misinformation and violence towards this group of siblings in humanity). This is where the beautiful alignment of the risen Christ, the Sonrise, and Trans Visibility Day matters for healing (actual justice work in our world), and I do pray that the church as whole answers the prayer.

As we can be like the women at the empty tomb (as one online meme phrased it, we’re going biblical this Sonrise, only women may attend, but I digress), as the community of John shares, as the Empire tried to continue to spin misinformation and hide away what had happened:

The women ran from the burial cave to bring the good news to his followers. Their hearts were trembling with fear and great joy. 9Suddenly, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was standing in front of them.

“It is a good morning!” he smiled and said to them.

They came close, held tightly to his feet, and gave great honor to him.

10“Do not fear!” he told them. “Go and tell my brothers to go to Circle of Nations (Galilee), and there they will see me.”

Showing the true belonging community, where all voices were heard… and welcomed… For the Imageo Dei is a beautiful and wonderful mosaic.

This Easter/Trans Day of Visibility may we embrace and live into this calling.

Red Herrings of Christendom

Okay maybe pluralizing was a touch sensationalizing, but when we think of red herrings, it is like a murder mystery. That thing (or clue) tossed in there that sounds credible or relevant but falls flat. That is, it is an irrelevant premise to prove an argument. These exist in the last gasps of Christendom as embodied in fundamentalist mainline and evangelical to Christian Nationalism.

The red herring du jour, is the one that they are using their last political flex in populism for, the “parental choice or rights” bills, the “don’t say gay” or “anti-trans its just a phase” that our world gives a pass to, because it is couched in the concept of “phobia”. A phobia is an irrational fear like we see of clowns, or heights, or the marketplace or spiders to name but a few. The idea of hatred conflated with an actual mental health diagnosis is both disheartening, and shows the power of media. For the rise of this hatred turned phobia, started with the Ricki Lake trial, where they did the “you have a secret crush” only the crush turned out to to be the male neighbour for the gent and the argument went his irrational fear led to the murder. A true red herring.

And it perpetuates as we, even allies or those in the community, continue to lean into the phobia language- homophobia, transphobia. Sorry, its not an irrational fear driven by anxiety, you have just found a way to straw man hatred. And our citizens, neigh, for those who have read the stories of Jesus in the Christian Testament, our neighbours, are paying the price for it being used as power (no the majority does not get to decide if the minority enjoys full human rights that is not how that works).

For those who profess to follow Jesus, just think of the fallacies (possible false dilemmas or faulty analogies) you are falling in to. Our creator is genderless or genderfluid, we know this because in the Hebrew Bible it states we are created in their image, not a plural reading, but rather the singular use. Jesus renamed friends constantly, if you read St. Paul, and not Saul of Tarsus, or know St. Peter is at the gates of heaven, but not St. Simon, you get the concept of preferred names. If you actually read Saul, with the proper socio-historical context he is not the misogynist current literalists would frame him as (sorry, my bad no speaking evangelical, complimentarian). Rather within the letters of Paul, you discover egalitarianism, and equality, and even equity for the body of Christ (think how he callenges the labels and caste system of the day, how would that read today? What imposed insider/outsider dynamic have we created).

The early church, was equitable and equal, Jesus’ followers had as many women in power as men, oh and let’s not forget in Acts, Mary of Nazareth (that woman who bore the peasant rabble rouser) ascented to who would replace Judas, and the beloved disciple was asked from the cross by Jesus to care for his Mumma.

We see gender, orientation, falling away, what we see is practices of degradation, oppression, hatred, and explooitation as he challenged the powers of his day of Empire and religion. Today it would be political, populist, hate groups cloaked in religion, and capitalistic.

So yes, as you hear of “parental rights” to cloak harm to an image of God (and yes the Imageo Dei is robust enought to wrap around all humanity, including our trans siblings) and put their lives at risk as hate, oppression and dysmorphia can lead to suicide, hate can lead to violence against, educate yourself a bit: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/hormone-blockers-puberty-1.7113626

If you sit there wondering how the church could be part of colonialism and genocide and slave trades, and then remain silent as other groups are attacked, rights are removed, or the atrocities of the past like colonialism, genocide and the slave trade (as well as the Holocaust) are denied… you have answered your own question. Because you are the answer in your silent culpability.

The Christendom to maintain power, and what it perceives as relevance through power has found another group to continue to target and harm. Instead of, allowing the Holy Spirit to blow through. The question for us is will we let the vocal hatred become us?

Or will we, take the stand to tell it to be quiet and sit down?

I for one am tired of the false narratives, the hate. The concept of a phase, so what if a person on the journey of discovery explores the robust and infinite image of the Creator and then comes back around to how they were identified at birth? So what if they go on the same journey, and live into how they were created? By continuing the narrative of control and choice in these matters, we dishonour our Creator whose image we are in, and we dishonour the beautiful diversity that is the mosaic of that image on creation.

Dollarama finds: Would Picket Fences have survived today’s censored t.v. environs?

First, if you are still a user of DVD’s (as I am) and you enjoy the hunt—Dollarama is carrying seasons of t.v. shows of yesteryear for $4 (yes you read that right) okay end PSA for critical thinkers.

So in discovery form, I found Season One of Picket Fences. A staple in our house growing up on Friday Nights. We are currently binge watching through the quirky Rome, Wisconsin adventures with the Brock Family (Sheriff, Town Doctor, 3 kids); Douglas Wambough (everybody’s lawyer); the Judge (who despite his own beliefs, uses justice as the moral/ethical compass for the town)…and so on and so forth.

But just think of the topics covered in the first scant episodes of season one: that pure nicotine can kill instantly; animal cruelty in circuses (a little person steals an elephant and rides it into town); Euthanasia/Dying with Dignity (and not with a nurse; but with a Nun, whose individual was Episcopalian)—cue discussions from all characters around their religious, ethical beliefs, beliefs around life and death…then the Christmas Pageant— not just the discourse on religious celebrations in public space-as a Rabbi challenges a Nativity scene–but then it comes out that the teacher playing Mary is Transsexual.  The exploration from the medical examiner that used to date her; to the parents reactions to the kids reactions of losing a teacher…to the great judgment where the judge admits his own personal bigotry, but when it comes to dismissing the teacher from work…well legally, ethically, morally and constitutionally you cannot due that for she is a good teacher.

Each episode had challenging topics, that built characters by sharing their struggles/beliefs through each topic. Which then bleeds into conversations with the watchers on what they hold to be true, why? what do you think of the resolution?

What sparked this ramble? As discussing with the wife, for the time period the show was not shocking. Dramas, family or otherwise, same as sitcoms, would tackle issues of the day in a way that created conversation. Art and writing were used to continue society’s forward movement into a just society.

Now fast forward 20ish years, and with things like that block feature for controversy on YouTube as just one example. I do not believe this show would make it through its early episodes in this day and age. Why??

We tend to want to have the ostrich effect in regards to controversial or tough subject matters. Anything that can create discussion or discourse, encourage critical thinking we want to shy away from. As a global society we have moved into “safe zones” where we go into our “ideology” caves and like the Croods roll the rock in front for safety. Whatever you want to cover the ideology in whether it is religion, spirituality, philosophy, politics (or another rainbow flavour) as a person you just want to exist within that sphere alone. The downside of this type of existence, is it become impossible to have discussions across the divide. The chasms get dug deeper, bridge building is forgotten, as the only drive is to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that your held ideology is the “TRUTH” and be damned any other.

On this eve of Palm Sunday in my cultural-religious heritage I mourn a little for this dychotomy. It is what 2000+ years ago the Entry to Jerusalem pres session foreshadowed: On one side, the poor and disenfranchised looking for a new way, on the other the oppressors and power holders.

Yet there came a time for discussion that broke down those barriers.

Now unfortunately, we are re-creating the barriers. Building the walls higher, digging the chasms deeper, and ensuring the lakes/motes of fire are poured ferociously.

Let’s agree on one thing as we move through this year. Let’s leave where we are now, and perhaps, just perhaps, take some time as families, communities to go back to a little town in Wisconsin, called Rome. A time when we could have space to process stances and beliefs beyond labels, discuss them openly and really figure out what it means to be in this grand adventure of life together.