Difference

God…despises no one nor regards anything as trivial…

Job 36:5 Amplified

By nature I am reflective and when this comes to my postings, I tend to write them on Wednesday, sleep on them overnight and then post them on Thursday. This allows a double check on myself. Only occasionally does this process take a little longer. However, last week my Posting stayed with me. Two pivotal events had deepened my reflective mood and I needed to be sure it would be read in the spirit of its intention – that we needn’t be afraid of difficulty as all things work together for good to those that love God and are called according to God’s purpose.

Two Sundays ago, I witnessed an event that I had not imagined, although the possibility had always been there. A London MCC church installed a new black pastor from Puerto Rico. I cannot convey how happy I was, the boldness of this event or how I felt about not being alone anymore. In 2004 I became the first person of African descent to be ordained in the 32 year history of MCC U.K. The second person, a year or two later, went on to found an MCC in Lagos, Nigeria. However, for most of the time, I remained by myself. Now I have a Caribbean colleague and it feels great. The second reason for my reflection was caused by my on line completion of a questionnaire for the MCC Archives and Oral History Project. A primary concern of my ministry has always been to assist in the founding of a truly U.K based inclusive Christian movement for black LGBTI folk, friends and family. In this context I wanted to contribute my U.K based experience to the global history of MCC.

I realise the importance of sharing one’s experiences of the good times and also of the bad times, in order to be honest and authentic. Rev Elder Darlene Garner was the first black MCC leader, I met at a District Conference, held a month after I arrived from the Caribbean in 1997. She told me to have patience. A valuable piece of advice but one that needed tempering with an incentive to remain. That came several years later with my attendance at the People of African Descent Conference in Atlanta in 2002. I realised we did have a significance presence in MCC and I was part of a global community. Despite my discomfort in MCC UK, this experience enabled my continuation with the Denomination. I had an underlying irrational belief, that despite all indications to the contrary, I was in the right place, even though at times it felt a very lonely and an emotionally bruising place, but still the right place. Our histories should include how we overcame the difficulties and stayed with the Denomination as an encouragement to others. I think of folk I know, people of African descent who began a journey with MCC and have left disillusioned and with feelings of exclusion. Recording the lows, the valleys along with the mountain top experiences is all part of the memories of our journeys that bear witness to the realities of our ever growing faith that collectively builds up the Denomination.

We tend to think of difficulty as arising from people outside of the church, however, they also come through our own people, who often pose the bigger challenge and the greater hurt. We hope for a greater understanding but this is not always forthcoming. That’s when patience, forgiveness and humility come in. Being a minority within a minority has its own particularities, the acknowledgment of which should help us to modify administrative procedures, practices and cultures that unwittingly foster discrimination for those of us who do not conform to the Denominational standard type, regarding ethnic grouping and culture, gender and sexual orientation, class and economic status, to name but a few.

Now I am at a stage in my journey where my uniqueness no longer separates within the body of Christ for I have learnt not to be dismayed or thrown off course. There is balm for my bruises and spiritual healing for my emotional wounds in the restorative power of Christ. The Holy Spirit imparts faith to persevere and wisdom to understand. As our egos diminish, the ability to transcend the every day, increases. Just as nothing can separate us from the love of God, no thing that is said against us, can either derail us or prevent that Love from moving us along on our journey.

…brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honourable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things, fix your minds on them. Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it and the God of peace of an untroubled, undisturbed well-being, will be with you. Phil. 4:8-9 Amplified.

May the Holy Spirit of God re-affirm your uniqueness and help you stay on track.

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