As Gay As Jesus

Guest author Michael Ferguson reminds us that at Christmas, we remember the narrative of Jesus Christ is the narrative of the LGBT community, the story of love that awakens those who are touched by it.

 

Human beings have always had myths. Throughout pre-civilization and
civilization, myth systems have been one in the handful of constants
of the human experience.

As religious scholar Joseph Campell has explained, the term “myth” is
not derogatory. Some may presume that there is a condescending
implication when we refer to a story as a myth, particularly when the
word is used to describe stories told by religious groups that are
functioning today.

On the contrary, though, Joseph Campbell identified a vital, fourfold
purpose for myth: it awakens a sense of awe, explains the shape of the
universe, supports social order, and guides the individual through the
stages of life. In this context, the myth of Jesus of Nazareth
powerfully reflects our story as an LGBT community.

Consider the Christ narrative: divine, transcendent love enters a
human body. This love grows—it blesses, heals, and changes those whom
it touches. The religious leaders who wield the most political power
do not accept the bearer of this love, nor do they approve of him.
Instead, they persecute him, citing reasons from their books of
scriptures to rationalize their own rejection of him, and to assert an
illegitimacy of his practices. Ultimately, they conspire to put this
man to death. However, they misjudge his nature and power, and the
darkness of their own hearts cannot extinguish the light of his
goodness. In fact, it only makes it stronger and enables it to spread
further.

This is the story of our community. It is the story of love that
awakens those who are touched by it, while simultaneously being
persecuted by religious elitists. It could not have a more striking
metaphor than the story of Jesus. Even as gay marriage—the ultimate
symbol of love and devotion that society can offer—suffered a
temporary death at the hands of religious conspirators hiding behind
the thinly veiled mask of political necessity (Proposition 8 ), the
death was only temporary. And it is the collective love emanating from
our community that will empower it to live indefinitely.

The writers of the musical Les Miserables chose to poetically conclude
the life of the main character, Jean Valjean, with this poignant
message: “To love another person is to see the face of God.” However,
more than simple poetics, the author of the letters of John in the New
Testament crafts a rich theology of love, explicitly linking the
relationship between human love and the presence of Divinity. He
writes, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God
lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12).

Many of us in the LGBT community have been burned by those who assert
that we have no place in the religious communities of our upbringing.
This Christmas season, whether we look to Jesus of Nazareth as the
Savior of humanity, as a good man and teacher of morals, or as an
archetype and a myth—may we each feel our own story celebrated, even
as we celebrate the birth of the baby in Bethlehem. And may the
resounding message be the one trumpeted by angels real or imagined:
“And on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Image via Wikipedia:
Stained glass at St John the Baptist’s Anglican Church, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus’ description of himself “I am the Good Shepherd” (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows a close up of the key features of the scene.

Michael Ferguson is a PhD student in Salt Lake City, studying
bioengineering and specializing in brain networks. He is a blogger at positiveneuro.com, and is especially interested in social dynamics and myth. You can follow him on Twitter at @positiveneuro.