June is Pride Month. I’ve been participating, first in civil rights struggles and then Pride activities practically all of my life. Along the way you get tired and frustrated by the seemingly slow progress that is being made.
Sometimes you just need to be reminded why you do equality, civil rights and justice work; why you fight for people who cannot fight for themselves; why you battle for rights for those who don’t and won’t help in trying to win those rights for themselves; why you take the mental and verbal attacks by those opposed to the basic human and civil rights for everyone. As a child of the Civil Rights Era and longtime activist for equality for the LGBTQ community, it’s simply who I am.
In 1965, Dr. King delivered a powerful speech in Montgomery, AL that included this resonant line: “The arc of the moral universe is long; but it bends toward justice.” It was first said by Theodore Parker, a Unitarian minister, calling for the abolition of slavery in his 1853 sermon “Of Justice and the Conscience.” We continue to work for equality, civil rights and justice FOR ALL because we believe this to be true.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and marriage equality decision of June 26, 2015, made us think we had come so far. But now, every day it seems many of the hard-fought victories, we took for granted to be secure, are increasingly under attack or being undone. The efforts to undo equality and justices are being led by people who profess to be followers of Christ.
How can this be? So, where do we people of faith who hold these views of “Loving mercy, doing justice and walking humbly with our God” turn for answers to what seemingly are unanswerable questions? I suggest a fresh look at Holy Scripture.
I invite you to join us Sunday mornings during Pride Month for a special 4-Part Pride sermon series called “UNSHAKEABLE ASSURANCES” based on Romans 8:31-39. The sermon on this first Sunday of Pride Month will be “GOD IS FOR US!”
Then join us at 5 PM to help Kick Off Pride Week at 5 PM for the Central Alabama Pride Interfaith Service at Covenant, followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall.
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