I had a philosophy professor at my Quaker college in Wilmington, Ohio – who was also a lifelong member of the Society of Friends. Quakers are, in my experience, often a bit different – must be all of the divine flame and peace stuff – and often have an interesting sense of humor. He once told me a joke that he said was the only Quaker joke – here it is: An older Quaker couple is sitting on their front porch watching the world go by, clucking their tongues at all of the chaos and worldliness around them. The husband turns to the wife and says, “All the world is strange except for Me and Thee, and Thee ’tis a bit odd too.” My professor’s timing was impeccable, and the joke was said with a mid-Western dryness that takes some getting used to, especially for someone like me who was raised on Borscht-Belt comedy.
After church two weeks ago, one of our retired members, in response to my sermon, told me about a woman she knows (who is older than she is) who said to her, “I know an old phrase that goes like this – If it’s queer or odd, it might be God.” I have believed for a very long time that God does not care if we are celibate or married – hetero or bi – male or female (according to the Apostle Paul) or trans; God made us all and loves us all no matter what. We have to live faithfully and have integrity in our relationships, but God doesn’t care if we are queer or odd. God doesn’t care if we wear a suit or dress or a t-shirt and shorts. Got tattoos? Leviticus doesn’t matter. Got piercings? Same. God created the diversity of the world, and if God created it, it is blessed. Every single one of us is in the Spiritual image of the Almighty. You want to act or look a little weird (whatever that is)? As long as you don’t hurt anyone, have at it.
Read church history – read the Bible – and you will find stories of people who were different changing the world. St. Francis talked to animals. John the Baptist wore strange clothing. King Solomon had all kinds of jewelry. We get so fixated with fitting in or being socially acceptable that it can lead to a whole lot of judging. When God sent Samuel to find a new king, God warned him to judge what was inside the person, not the exterior appearance. Are you queer or odd? Trans or cisgender? Tattooed or not? I don’t care; more importantly, God doesn’t care. And if you care, maybe you should check your bias. If it’s okay with God, it should be okay with God’s people. No matter who you are, or where you are on your journey, you are welcome here. Period.
Prayer – Help us, God, to see what is inside people, not the external fluff. May we see You in them. Amen.
Today’s art is “Beautiful Strangeness – a Portrait of Mab Graves” by Rachel Favelle.