What is left to protest?

October 31 marks the 493^rd anniversary of Martin Luther's disputation of the practice of selling indulgences and the symbolic (though hardly actual) beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Throughout the Lutheran and Reformed worlds, many churches will make at least some tacit acknowledgement of this day. In an era of increasing ecumenical dialogue and cooperation, why would we want to emphasize an era that tore the church apart? The Protestant churches are firmly independent of Rome, so what do we have left to protest?

The Protestant churches and denominations are like the rings of suburbs surrounding an urban center. While families may have started in the city, many wind up "moving out to the burbs." And over time, those suburbs begin to forget about the urban center that connects them all. They become discreet self-sufficient communities with their own city councils, fire departments, schools and even shopping malls. After a while, we forget that we were ever in the city to begin with. One of the lessons of the last two decades in urban planning is that the health of the suburbs and the health of the city are connected in many ways. The same is true for the church. However far we may seek to move from our historical center, we are still connected in Christ one with the other.

The metaphor is not perfect, but you get the point. We Protestants moved out to the ecclesiastical burbs nearly 5 centuries ago and now few of us ever go back to the city at all. We stand at a distance and proclaim what is wrong but you will never catch us moving back.

To be sure, there are still many doctrines and policies of the Roman Catholic faith with which I take issue. I agree with Luther and Calvin and other Protestant thinkers that the Catholic Church fundamentally misunderstands the grace of God. I disagree with their stance on the role of women in the church, the nature of the priesthood and the role of bishops. There are many things that I believe still need protest. However, I think that we contemporary Protest-ants can take a lesson from our Reformation era forebears. Martin Luther never intended to separate from the Roman Catholic Church. He intended to protest its practices not abandon it all together.

One lesson for us this Reformation Sunday is that while there is much to still protest about the historic practices of the church, we make our protest not from the outside looking in but from within the larger body of Christ. Our protests are not (or at least should not be) to change a church outside the body of Christ but to reform part of our shared community as the body of Christ.

After all, it is
Reformation Sunday and not Protestant
Sunday.

It Shouldn’t Have to Get Better

Tyler Clementi 18

Billy Lucas 15

Asher Brown 13

Seth Walsh 13

Theirs are the names that made the news but they are not the only ones. Each year hundreds of youth and young adults take their own lives. In response to a recent rash of suicides among youth who identified as GLBTQ or were perceived to be by their peers, writer Dan Savage filmed a short video message called "It Gets Better." The "It Gets Better" phenomenon has spread across the nation to include politicians, celebrities, clergy, parents, teachers and others from nearly every walk of life telling GLBTQ youth and young adults that they are not alone. The project is a great one, but it raises an important question about the state of our society…why have we created a world where it has to get better?

It would be overly simplistic to draw a straight line between religious intolerance and the tragic deaths of GLBTQ youth and young adults. There is certainly a connection between theologies of intolerance and the culture of despair surrounding far too many youth and young adults; however it is not the only factor. Not even the only religious factor. Mainline Protestant traditions have played a part in creating a world where it has to get better by contributing to the conspiracy of silence on issues of sexuality. Our absence on issues of welcome and justice and our failure to publically and vocally advocate for the full inclusion and embrace of GLBTQ men and women of faith makes us silent accomplices.

Civil rights for GLBTQ men and women around the world is one of the defining issues of our time. It is certainly the defining issue of American culture today. For many youth and young adults, it has quite literally become a matter of life and death. It is not enough to shake our heads and lament the tragedy of their despair. We must speak up. Simply rejecting theologies of intolerance and hate is not sufficient. We must actively proclaim the Gospel of radical inclusion that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are to be true to the calling of Christ to care for all God's children, the church cannot be silent any longer. We can no longer contribute to a world where it needs to get better by offering nothing more than indifference. Each and every life- male and female, rich and poor, old and young, GLBT&Q- is a cherished treasure in the eyes and heart of God.

The hope we know in Jesus Christ gives us the strength and courage to not only dream of a world better than the one we share today, but the imagination to bring that world into being for all of God's children.

Yes, it does get better.

But it shouldn't have to.