Kiss The Fiddler

Ramblings, moments of humor, random thoughts, experiences, insights, simple wisdom, and whatever else I feel like sharing.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Seeing the Face of Christ

This past weekend, I drove to Oregon with a friend and stayed at her folks' house.  My friend loves me just the way I am.  She knows me and she accepts me.  I'm lucky that way.

Her folks though, are much more conservative in their beliefs.  They think that homosexuality is wrong.  Period.  And here I am, living openly as a lesbian woman, married to another woman, raising our child together.  I don't hide who I am.

My friend's folks are deeply Christian.  Christianity is something I've struggled with for years.  I like the God that Christians speak of.  And, so often, the human-ness of people seems to cloud how I see their God.  For me, a lesbian, I have grown wary of Bible thumping, God speaking Christians.  Their reproach hurts.  I tend to lump them all together (as they might lump all queers together).  All too often, I fail to see what might be the Face of Christ in them.  Probably because I feel hurt and am not trying to see it.

But this past weekend - it was different.  I was so warmly welcomed into this couple's home.  Welcomed with open arms.  Literally.  I was given a very comfortable bed to rest in.  They fed me.  They loved me.  They gave me safety.  They gave me space to just be.  The woman called me "her girl" and paid for fuel for my car and a nice lunch out.  All this was so freely given.  Given by people who didn't agree with who I am and loved me anyway, without trying to change me.  Their gift showed me what might be the face of Christ.  The love they showed me wasn't dependent on me doing or giving anything in return.  It was free.  That's how Christians say that Christ loves.  Isn't it?

How often do you see the face of Christ in others?  I challenge you to look for that of Christ (or, if your language likes it better, that of God, that of Light, etc) in people you meet this week.

Another thought, If God really is a god that's bigger than all, then God can only be ween in what He/She/theLight/Spirit chooses to show us of God's self.  It might not be what we expect or want to see.

hbk

2 comments:

wildwomanjd said...

This is true. We can try, but God cannot be fitted into a box of our limited understanding of Him.

Unknown said...

You're right. How often do we try to define God to fit either our limited understanding or our needs? The challenge is to remain open and to keep seeking. And to love freely.