LGBTQQIA -- Every letter matters because everyone matters!

LGBTQQIA -- that's a lot to remember! And I'm glad I do -- the letters just trip merrily off my tongue! (Go ahead, practice saying it all day!) I laugh when I say it because I'm so happy my pea brain actually remembers them all! I also like the befuddled looks of my disinterested friends as they wonder why I know that tidbit of information and why I think they'd want to know it, too!

Here's my pledge:  No matter matter how many more letters are ever added, I promise to keep trying to remember them all because it's important -- each letter represents people who matter -- and I want my life to prove that everyone matters!

I'm just a tiny-voiced little guy who really wants to help. And something stirs in me to speak and act more plainly and openly. I just often don't know what to say or how to say it helpfully without seeming angry and overly-protective on behalf of people I care about! There's a frustration in me because open dialog isn't easy. I'm amazed at how many good people yawn and glaze over -- or worse, turn ugly -- when it feels right to talk about what's going on in the LGBTQQIA Community. People don't seem to realize that when you fight and argue and get ugly and mean like that, you're actually fighting and arguing and getting ugly and mean against real people! People who don't deserve to be sneered at or looked down on any more than they, you, or I want to be...

Only one little word/phrase has to be change for each of us to get to be part of this amazing community. Do you say them or us? Is it those people or my friends and neighbors? Is it their or my issue?

Yes, LGBTQQIA is a lot of letters, and aren't you glad? Isn't it good to be included rather than excluded? Every letter is an invitation to belong and to get involved. You'll know you've got it right when this is how you say it: This is MY community. These are MY friends. This is MY cause.

The challenge for me, as with any group of people I get to be part of, is to be a positive part of the whole -- to live and love and work and serve in such a way that we're all better together -- truly united -- strong, safe, sure, wanted, respected, appreciated, loved!

You know what I'm really looking forward to? That day when the whole alphabet of mankind can live together joyfully, with lots of smiles, love, and laughter...

If you're reading this, know that I love you, and I'm happy we're in this thing together no matter what letter of the alphabet represents you!  :-)  xo

LGBT Mile Markers -- Do you care?

It's interesting to discover what people care about -- and what they don't care about, too. I think it's easy to think that if it's important to me, it's important to everyone. Duh -- nope! It's even more intriguing when you find out why they do or don't care what you care about...

Do you care that October is LGBT history month? Did it mean anything to you that October 11th was -- once again -- National Coming Out Day?

I was with a group of colleagues recently and raised the subject only to find that it was of little or no interest to the majority -- and some even found the prospect of these focal points ridiculous.

Given the fraught history of America in terms of civil rights for all, I think these specific LGBT mile markers are both worth some thought and energy.  More importantly, it seems we need to learn from what they represent; they exist with good reason.  It seems a bit obvious, but the first and most helpful reason (I hope and pray!) is to break down walls and barriers of misunderstanding that divide people who shouldn't be divided!

In every generation it seems as if a fight has to begin between people of one kind versus people of another kind based on some kind of assigned label -- color, gender, language, birthplace, bank account balance, sexual-orientation, address, hair length and/or style, pro-this, anti-that, and on and on it goes!

That's not good.

What about forgiveness? Reconciliation? Learning together? Seeking harmony with others over getting my own way? "As far as it depends on you, live at peace with all men..." doesn't seem like such a bad assignment to me -- except that it's going to require humility and a purposeful awareness of other people on my part -- seeking to know who they really are and are becoming -- not just who I want them to be!

Healing of families, neighborhoods, communities, cities, this whole country, and the world won't come if people aren't decisive about the way of humility -- including sincere regret for the hurt that's there; meaningful, forgiving dialog; and an awful lot of real (not pretend!), loving interest in those who are alike and those who aren't.

I give my heart, I'll do my part! What about you?

What about my reputation?

Jesus' disciples were questioned for the company he kept. Apparently, "they" (sinners and tax collectors!) were more important to Jesus than his reputation -- and they were worth the possibility of besmirching that reputation.

I wonder how important my reputation is to me? Am I spending time with the right kinds of people meaning, perhaps, the supposedly "wrong" kinds of people? Is my ministry to people more important than the "institution" of my service? Does anyone ever stop and wonder why I'm hanging out with "those" people?

Some days I feel too clean and prissy. It's good spiritual medicine to be with godly and good Christian people -- but my life purpose isn't that -- it's "them." At my best I serve in ways that are rough and tumbling and real, living and loving people who are rough and tumbling and real! I need more of that to be the me God wants me to be! That's where the joy of service is found if I want to live at all like Jesus. And I do.

Shouldn't be so hard to be you -- or me!

Ah, man! Why do we make it so hard for people to be who they really are! And I include myself -- Why do I make it so hard for me to be me? Oh, the pain I see in people's eyes as they play games with themselves and the people around them. Even the ones who love them best.

It all goes back to labels. The hardest thing in the world is to peel them all away -- labels self-assigned, and labels assigned by others -- and find the best me so often buried away ever so deep. I get glimpses of "him" -- and I like what I glimpse! But then he hides away all over again. Only coming out now and then.

Is the real you really that bad that you have to hide you away? Is the real me so bad that I have to hide me away? Funny, stupid-sounding questions. But the answers are so obvious when you live with people who are barely visible...know what I mean?

I want to live and love in such a way that people feel safe being -- and becoming -- who they really are. Who they really want to be. And still be loved.

The only life goal that really matters to me?  Love. Everyone.