The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20), September 22, 2024

In the 1980’s, Immunologist, Dr. Pernessa Seele, a public health educator at Harlem Hospital, was moved by the impact of HIV/AIDS on the predominantly African American community she served. Based on her experience with the African American church, Dr Seele believed that clergy in the Harlem churches would be the best people to lead prevention efforts, dispel myths, and mitigate stigma. However, her initial efforts were met with resistance.

Overall, church leaders were reluctant to get involved with secular issues or delve deeply into public health concerns.  However, on a deeper level, it was the perceived connection between HIV/AIDS and the gay community that stopped leaders and the institution from being engaged. Dr. Seele understood that African American religious institutions have an important role in helping black people cope with the impact of racism. So, she believed that the rejection of people living with HIV/AIDS was causing great damage to the community.

In 1989, Dr. Seele organized the first “Harlem Week of Prayer”. She figured if churches could not provide HIV/AIDS education from the pulpit, they could at least encourage people to pray. The first event drew a small, interfaith community, and by 1991, over 100 congregations were participating. By 1992, the Week of Prayer had spread across the country, and with that energy, Dr. Seele founded the nonprofit organization, Balm in Gilead. Balm in Gilead provides resources for faith institutions who want to collaborate with public health initiatives to save lives.

Since the 1980’s, organizations like the Balm in Gilead and leaders like Dr. Pernessa Seale have brought the issue of LGBTQ+ acceptance in the African American church to the surface. At times, social issues like the increase in violence against black transgender women or the proliferation of LGBTQ+ homeless youth of color in New York City, make us wish that inroads existed within religious institutions for social change. Although there is not yet a wholesale acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, the situation is improving, and more congregations are at least willing to have the conversation. Acceptance of people from diverse walks of life can be an uphill battle in most religious communities.

I find that the Gospel reading for this week provides a strong argument for radical acceptance of all people in the Christian fellowship. In the Book of Mark, the greatest lessons tend to happen during the times when Jesus is alone with his disciples after times of traveling and healing others. In Mark 9:30-37, Jesus is alone with his disciples, and he makes his second attempt to let his disciples know that he would be killed and would rise again. And they are still not able to understand what he means. Perhaps because of a growing sense of urgency, during this time together, he attempts to impart two other important lessons.

First, Jesus asks his disciples why they were bickering, and someone explains that some among the group have been arguing about who is the best. Jesus lets them all know that greatness is being measured by how much you are willing to sacrifice. He explains that the one who is first has the greatest burden of being the servant of all. And he also alludes to the ultimate sacrifice he is about to make on behalf of all humankind.

Next, Jesus pulls a child close to him and explains that anyone who does not welcome this child, does not welcome Jesus more importantly does not welcome God, the one who sent him. Often, when Jesus talks about children in the Gospels, he is addressing the innocence of children or their relative vulnerability. So, this lesson about the child could be about welcoming people in their openness or seeing people like we might see children. However, I see the message as a call for a radical acceptance of all people. Jesus seems to be saying, this is any child or rather anyone. If you cannot welcome anyone, regardless of social status or identity, you are not welcoming me, and you are not welcoming God.

Can congregations become spaces of radical welcome? Is there room for having these conversations? What is gained and what is lost when congregations become “open and affirming” to LGBTQ+ Christians? Faith leaders like Dr. Seele have helped us to jumpstart these important conversations and have worked for decades to create more safe spaces for acceptance and welcome in the broader community.

---

Gabrie’l J. Atchison earned an M.A. in Religion from Yale Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Women’s Studies from Clark University. She is an adjunct professor of Gender Studies, a blogger, and an author. Dr. Atchison is the editor of Environment and Religion in Feminist-Womanist, Queer, and Indigenous Perspectives a series by Lexington Books. She is author of Are You The Unchurched?: How to Develop a Relationship with God Inside or Outside of Church and a co-author of More to this Confession: Relational Prison Theology with Chris Barbera. She is a contributor to Preaching the Uncontrolling Love of God, Edited by Jeff Wells, Thomas Jay Oord, et. al. and The Creation Care Bible Challenge, Edited by Marek P. Zabriskie. She lives in Buffalo, New York with her dog, Jack.