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“God’s
Word is also seen and heard through the Spirit who calls us into community
and who creates in us a sense of corporate identity that enhances and
enriches our individuality.”
– John Shelby Spong: “Living in Sin?”
Seeking
God; that was my intention in transferring from the University of Western
Ontario where I was focused on a degree in
Sociology. My intent was to transfer
in to a place where I could earn a Bachelors Degree while furthering
knowledge in the area of my greatest passion-God.
I
was mildly aware of my sexual preference before arriving at Bible College
but it wasn’t until I met the woman who I am currently engaged to that I
realized; these feelings were more than a passing thought. I came to terms in my own heart that I am
gay. I also came to terms with my self
that I believed being gay in no way dishonored God. This being the opposite view of the school
I was currently at, I debated leaving after year one. Already having feelings of intense love for
my partner, I returned for a second year and we remained in hiding labeled as
nothing more than roommates and best friends.
The
pressures of hiding that I was Gay I was begun to grow. As we lived out our “Christian” lives our
relationship was under intense pressures.
If anyone were to find out that we were in love with each other it
would mean immediate dismissal. My partner
was in her last year at Bible
College going onward to
an internship outside of school that would lead to her graduation date. I left Bible College unsure of where my
next step would be, discouraged that the God I sought to learn more about
couldn’t continue at the bible college I had transferred to.
Graduating
felt as though it was unattainable. My
partner and I were now living together, still in hiding as she worked on the
streets of Toronto, Canada doing her internship with
the homeless. As her graduation date came closer and
closer questions from previous classmates of Bible College
began surfacing. If our relationship
were to be found out, my partner would not be granted her degree and left
with nothing but debt to show for four and a half years of grueling emotional
and academic work.
Luckily
my partner graduated, and we were able to come out of hiding. This would be the beginning of various
judgments from former classmates. We stood strong as we wondered what we
would do next. My partner is American,
and I am Canadian. To stay together
and to be able to afford to finish the degree I started in Sociology we were
forced to move to Maine
where my partner has been supporting me as I finish my B.A. in
Sociology.
I
currently attend the University
of Southern Maine, a
place where sexuality is something to be celebrated rather than a reason for
dismissal. I feel as though I am
attending a place of higher education where I can flourish as a Gay
individual and as a believer. For a
while I felt as though something was stripped of me at Bible College. I feel as though the freedom to be a gay
believer was almost taken from me.
Since
moving to Maine
I’ve sought to open the doors to inclusive Christianity. I’ve been in constant debate with previous
classmates. I’m speaking the truth of
Gods love for all people. I’ve recently
become involved with the United Church of Christ seeking to promote their
activism for Gay rights-Human rights.
I will not be quiet and will do everything in my power to open the
eyes of anyone who would make a Gay, Lesbian, Bi or Transgendered individual
feel as though God has no place for them.
God is love and I aim to live that everyday with my life Partner by my
side.
When
I am finished with My Bachelor Degree in Sociology I hope to begin working
with movements of progressive Christianity.
I hope to further my education and have a passion to further awareness
and open doors for GLBT individuals to live a life free of discrimination and
limitation in the realm of spirituality.
“Sexuality
is not simply a matter of behavior.
Our sexuality goes to the heart of our identity as persons.” – John
Shelby Spong: “Living in Sin?”
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