February 26: #GC2019 Final Day

It is a leaner morning to which we awaken. We have before us a slew of legislation characterized by chaos and hostility, not by Christian virtue. Yesterday’s session seemed to set us back in the pursuit of justice for God’s LGBTQ beloveds.

And yet the Spirit still moved. In an act of solidarity, LGBTQ United Methodists and their allies on the floor cleared the way for the Simple Plan to be considered and debated before the committee. We heard the impassioned, varied, and beautiful voices of our siblings warning against unholy harm and exclusion, claiming their beloved-ness, and beseeching the body for another chance to be the Church. The Spirit swept through the floor and the stands to bring LGBTQ advocates to stand in support of their siblings and each other. The Spirit led its children in song. The atmosphere changed.

Now, as the last day of General Conference 2019 unfolds before us, we put on the armor of God and stand in spirit or in body to face the day in solidarity with our siblings around the connection. We rise against our old and familiar enemy, colonialism, and its many symptoms, including homophobia and transphobia. By the grace of God, we rise.

“We have brought people to Jesus because they said they have not heard this message before. They didn’t know God could love them because their churches said God didn’t. And so if we can be a Church which brings Jesus to people who are told can’t be loved, that’s what I want our church to be. And that’s the Methodist Church that I love and that I want to be a pastor in someday. I want to be a pastor in the Methodist Church because I love our tradition. I love all of you. We are the Church together. This is the body of Christ. And we are stronger together than we are apart. And no plan to separate us can unite us like God’s love We are the church. We are God’s children. Let us be the Church together.”

— JJ Warren, delegate and student at Sarah Lawrence College