Absent Gifts

By Darrius D. Hills

Greetings all--I am new to this blogging experience, but I'd like to begin by sharing some of the thoughts I had months ago during General Conference, which I did not attend, but that I did pay attention to the proceeding. 

This past session, and its vote to uphold the "incompatibility" of homosexuality, inspired a few thoughts in my mind. I am vexed over the potential loss of gifts of the persons who are excluded because of the church's policies. I understand that my reading is somewhat utilitarian--that is, I'm looking at the good of the whole (the UMC) as I consider the exclusion of a body within the body.  I am morbidly ashamed that we are losing great persons--with great perspectives--with great gifts because of some of these policies.

When I was 13, my Dad (a Methodist pastor) used a gumball machine in his office to explain his view of ecclesiology to me. He told me that the church, was a "smorgasbord of different sizes, colors, bodies, flavors, peoples, perspectives, and GIFTS--all united for the purpose of serving God." Furthermore, he explained, "all the pieces in this ecclesial smorgasbord are valued by God." That imagery still sticks with me today. Simply put, the church is losing. The church is losing the presence of many Spirit-filled, talented persons, and for that, I remain angry. Because of the prejudices of a few, many persons are turning their back on the UMC, and I say we all suffer as a result.

I don't speak of suffering in a quantitative sense (i.e. I don't care about the UMC 'attendance roles'). Here, I speak of qualitative suffering as a result of the GC's decision; in a word, we are losing the profound voices, perspectives, and gifts of a community of persons who we need to remain present WITHIN our congregations. We can ill afford their absence. Further, this qualitative suffering is also coupled with charismatic deficiency.

Charisma is Greek for gifts/graces...Thus, as the UMC continues to exclude the GLBT community, the church will render itself anemic due to a deficiency of charismatic diversity. In a word, the church is losing a variety of gifts from the very people that they are excluding.

How much greater would the church become by recognizing, affirming, and utilizing the gifts of ALL its members--without regard for where the gifts are found?!?! When will we learn that none of us has a monopoly on God’s blessings? When will we understand that none of us has the authority to exclude any person from the body of Christ? When will our feeble minds grasp that the power of the Holy Spirit to instill and cultivate gifts within ALL of God’s people is WITHOUT BOUNDS?

Who I am and how my gifts are used are nothing APART from who you are and how your gifts are used--it's all connected. There is an interrelatedness present among all human creatures. Like a tapestry, we are woven together by intricate cords of time--of destiny--of purpose. Within this cosmic tapestry, God is our Seamstress--who sustains all the threads and ties them all together. There are many threads in this tapestry...if you neglect one thread, the WHOLE withers and gradually diminishes.

I pray that the UMC and the church universal upholds and commits itself to a sense of interrelatedness with all persons, despite our differences. Only then can the absent gifts of our excluded sisters and brothers find full expression and affirmation.