by Joey Heath
Christmas time is a time of the year a lot of people look forward to. It is a time of decorations and good food. It is a time for not just thinking of yourself but of giving to others. It is a time of joy and good spirits. It is a time for coming together with family and the joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Well that is for a lot of people but not all people. For some the holidays do not evoke these emotions but rather the opposite. They bring sadness and heartache and a reminder that they do not have families to spend the holidays with.
One particular group of people who suffer at the holidays are our LGBT brothers and sisters who by being honest with those they love and sharing who they really are, have been rejected. For many that means they are not able to spend the holidays with their families who have told them they are not welcome. Others are welcome but only if they do not bring the significant person in their life or if they promise to not mention anything about their “lifestyle”. This is tragic. How can anyone kick a member of their own family out and tell them not to come back or ask them to not be themselves?
I bring this up because it is the holiday season and I know many will be hurting. This year I would ask you first to pray for those who are hurting because they have been rejected by those they care about most. Second I would ask if you know someone that is in this situation and will be hurting this year go the extra mile and invite them to your own house for a meal and to share presents. Most of all this would be about offering this person a loving place to go. Think about if you had no place to go for Christmas, what would you want someone to do for you? Do that thing. Remember the smallest gesture can mean the most to people, especially when they are hurting.
Hope everyone this year has a very merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Joey Heath is a 26 year old life long United Methodist. He is currently a graduate student at Wesley Theological Seminary completing his Masters in Divinity. Once an ordained pastor, Joey hopes he will be able to bring real change to the UMC on the issues of sexuality and gender identity at the broader church level, but also with individuals, so that one day the church will truly be a place that is inclusive of all people.
Reconciling Ministries Network mobilizes United Methodists of all sexual orientations and gender identities to transform our Church and world into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love.
