On Easter of 1958 when as a little girl I proudly brought a bouquet of flowers down the aisle to place in a chicken wire cross at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church in Aiken, South Carolina I first experienced the love of Jesus Christ. Over the years, my faith has motivated work in nursing home and jail ministries, hospital chaplaincy and a campaign for state senate in which the social calling in Matthew 25 was my platform.
Since my father was in the military, we saw how wide the world is and, as we say, how large the body of Christ is. From that vantage point, I have recognized a dark underbelly of our faith that is peculiarly American. Our holy scripture has been twisted to provide the moral basis for the institution of slavery, and all manner of white supremacist organizations which claim Christianity as a foundation, including the Ku Klux Klan. Today, it is used to sustain persecution of the gay and transgender community and to attack new ways of considering gender attraction and identity.
It misapplies the concept of “nation”, meaningful in reference to the ancient people of Israel, to bludgeon our pluralistic country with chicken little cries of the end of the world, when the only entity religiously meaningful in the gospel of Jesus Christ is the kingdom of God and that has no geographic boundaries. Rather than confidence and generosity, there’s paranoia and shaming.
The corruption of our beautiful gospel is energized by political forces fearing Roe vs Wade on the ropes will not be sufficient to mobilize the single-issue voter. Early restrictions on church attendance during the pandemic is taken as evidence of a conspiracy to destroy the church. The approach of 2045, when the bureau of the census projects the United States will become minority White, is not celebrated, even though the non-white communities are overwhelmingly sisters and brothers in Christ.
As a seminarian in my congregation wisely said regarding the malaise in the country and our communities: “We can either ask who’s at fault or how can I help.” I for one am excited to be putting my efforts into making a Delmarva Pride Center a reality in Easton. For me, it’s just what the doctor, and the Gospel, ordered.
Holly Wright
Easton
Sheila Scott says
Yes! How can I help?
Wilson Dean says
Congratulations to you Holly for recognizing and acting on the fact that true spirituality and morality should be driving us to be inclusive, not exclusive. It is so disappointing that so many use their perverted sense of religion to promote exclusivity, white supremacy, and bigotry. Thank you for your positive approach to others.
Phil Sayre says
What a wonderful perspective. Yes, how can one help? Thank you for your inspiration.
Mary Hunt-Miller says
Thank you Holly for your letter emphasizing what most of us brought up in faith were taught “love your neighbor as your self”.
Pete Cerutti says
Well said, Holly.
Barbara Denton says
I have not heard the gospel being used to justify slavery or the terrible actions of the Ku Klux Klan. This perversion of the gospel happened during slavery and you can read examples of it in “My Bondage and My Freedom” an autobiography about and written by Frederic Douglass. I would certainly appreciate your giving us examples of the persecution of the gay and transgender community. They certainly did not look persecuted last Saturday when they imposed a pride celebration at the same time as the Juneteenth celebration which has been celebrated in Easton for years.
St. Paul, the greatest disciple of Christ in the early church, in his letter to the Romans 1:22-32, says what actions should be taken in the face of gays and transgenders. The instructions are very clear. Everyone should remember pride is one of the seven deadly sins.
As Christians, we are called upon to advocate and live the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is timeless and does not require contemporary tweaking for fads or styles of the day. It also requires us to help all of those who are physically or mentally ill, as caring for our brothers and sisters is living the gospel of Christ.
David Montgomery says
Thank you for standing up for the faith and values we share. It is sad to read someone so biased that they blame Christianity for slavery, when it is only in Christian countries that slavery has been abolished. As St Paul wrote, we have always believed “neither slave nor free. It was the Evangelicals of England (ever hear of Wilberforce?) with the Royal Navy that ended the slave trade. And as a Catholic I have to point out that we Catholics, not blacks, were the primary target of the KKK in the XXth century
Carol chisholm says
Holly this is indeed important theology. As my Cherokee mentor says to remind me of Jesus’ position, “when you meet someone give them your live. If you are fortunate you will learn to like them.” We are ALL His.
Tina Grace Jones says
Holly, thank you for writing such a beautiful letter. All any of us want is to be loved and accepted.
Tina Grace Jones
Chair, Board of Directors
Delmarva Pride Center
Kristin Davis says
Way to go Holly! A message of inclusivity during a time of so much division is just what we need! Even a non-Christian like me can appreciate your message and understand that it was Jesus’ message as well. Hatred, exclusion and jusdgement are antithetical to what Jesus taught.
Bob Collins says
What better illustration of the Gospel being used to “support terrible actions” could there be than to approvingly cite the provision (Romans I:32) that people who act differently “are worthy of death” ?
This eloquently proves the point of Ms. Wright’s original letter.