In 2006 I started my rabbinate in Omaha, Nebraska. Shortly after, I met Debra McKnight. Debra served as the Associate Reverend at the First United Methodist Church located just across the street. She gave me one of the more unique gifts I’ve received in my 13 year rabbinate. One morning, I came into my office and found a pineapple on my desk. Attached was a welcoming note, referring to the sweetness of friendship and interfaith partnership. Debra quickly became a wonderful colleague and friend. During my time in Omaha, she founded her own community, Urban Abbey. It is part-coffee shop, part church, and all wonderful. Tonight’s sermon is dedicated to her, and the values that Debra and her colleagues continue fighting for.
The Methodist Church has a motto: Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors. But this past Tuesday afternoon, Methodist delegates from across the globe convened in St. Louis and they passed a highly controversial measure known what as the Traditional Plan. As this policy stands, someone who identifies as gay can not be a member of the Methodist clergy. Added to that is the prohibition on its clergy from performing same sex weddings. Clergy who officiate at same-sex weddings can receive a one-year unpaid suspension from their church. A second suspense could result in removal. Just as God hardened Pharoah’s heart, this policy only serves to closes the hearts, minds and doors of the Methodist Church.
I am not a Christian, although I do like the idea that this rabbi is discussing Christian theology from a Unitarian pulpit.
Yes, Leviticus clearly states: A man shall not lie with another man. Genesis clearly states: Be fruitful and multiply. These two verses are bandied about out as proof-texts for the so-called sin of homosexuality. Religionists hide behind these verses for theological protection: The Bible says it! I’m not homophobic … it’s what God says!
The Bible says so.
Yes it does. But the Bible also says not to mix different linens when wearing clothes. It commands us not to mix milk and meat. It tells us to stone someone that tells a lie. It tells us to love your neighbor as yourself. It commands us not to lie or covet. I often think that people who use The Bible says so as evidence against homosexuality are really looking for a verse of Bible to buttress a belief that they have.
Think about it this way: You go to an archery range and see two people trying to hit the bullseye. One of them pulls back their bow, aims the shot, takes a deep breath and lets go. The arrow narrowly misses. The second does something strange. He walks to where the targets are, armed with an easel, a large piece of paper and a marker. He takes his arrow and sticks it firmly in the paper. And then he draws a bullseye around it and then claims, Look, I got a bullseye! Same thing applies for Look, it’s in the Bible! Speaking from our own tradition, one can say almost any opinion and then find a scholar somewhere that can pluck out a verse of Torah or a text from Talmud that supports it.
Those that claim The Bible says so engage in what I call Levitical-cherry-picking. It’s bad theology, it’s intellectually disingenuous, and it’s immoral. It’s time to call it out. Adding to this is the fact that within Christianity, Levitical laws pale in importance when compared to the four Gospels. Do you want to know how many times Jesus talks about the abomination of homosexuality? Zero. But the number of times that Jesus talks about open minds, open hearts and open doors? Too many to count.
There’s also the old canard that I also homosexuality is not natural, because a same-sex couple can’t be fruitful and multiply. Again, it is true that a gay couple cannot conceive a child. But what about those amongst us that are single, or do not have children, whether by choice or by circumstance - are we also an abomination? Are we living in sin?
There is some good news. If the recent vote was made only by American Methodist churches, the LGBTQ community would have full inclusion. American delegates voted 2-to–1 against the Traditional Plan. More encouraging is the fact that some of the Traditional Planwill be likely be toned down in the future. Reverend McKnight talks about finding new allies in this fight amongst heterosexual white men. She talks about continuing to love people. She says, I love what we can do together. In reading her recent blog post, I find one line particularly moving. She quotes one of the delegates at the recent vote that said, Resurrection happens and it’s not because anyone voted for it.
Putting this into a Jewish framework: God gave us the Torah. It’s up to us what to do with it. A famous Talmud passage suggests exactly this; Rabbis are debating over an esoteric matter of law and one of the rabbi’s says, I am so sure that I am right that I am asking God to tell you! And within the story, sure enough, God tells the rabbis that he is right. But it’s what happens next that is fascinating: The rabbis tell God to stay out of it - to essentially mind God’s own business - because the practice of deciding Jewish law is now in our hands.
The continuation and interpretation of revelation is part of the foundation of my religious identity. It’s even in our name, Reform Judaism. We are constantly reforming. This is why it was relatively painless when Sally Priesand was ordained as the first female rabbi in 1974. In 1990, our reforming continued with the CCAR’s statement that Jews should be fully integrated in the life of the Jewish community regardless of sexual orientation. In 1996, the CCAR said that same-sex couples should be granted every right and responsibility as heterosexual couples. And in 2015, the URJ overwhelmingly adopted a resolution affirming the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming people.
Think about this in contrast to the The Methodist Book of Discipline Statements. Section 304.3 states: The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Nancy Denardo, one of the representatives that voted in favor of the Traditional Plan, and against the more liberal One Church Plan said: The One Church Plan does not agree with the words of our savior. It deceives young persons into believing that same-gender marriage is Ok with God - when it is clearly not.
More good news: I can tell you that many Methodist churches, including many of its divinity schools will be in open defiance against these rules. They will perform same-sex weddings, and it’s very possible (and hopeful) that LGBTQ individuals will continue to be clergy and continue to be ordained.
In some ways, these recent events make me proud to be a Reform Jew. We still have work to do with racial equality and women’s rights, but we’re getting there. Our revelation will continue.
And at the same time, we can’t rest just because we have open doors and open hearts. We must work with Debra and with all other people of faith who fight to keep doors open and hearts open. Just like our prayerbook says, There is no way to get from here to there, except by holding hands and marching together.
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