A-LISTS spirituality by reverend randy besta
Exploring TheOTHER Voices Of God
Like it or not, the LGBT community is saddled with the stereotype that we dwell on fashion, have our homes meticulously deco- rated and can throw a dinner party like no other—if you’ve had the chance to meet me, you would know that isn’t always the case.
Try as I might, I am just one voice in the pursuit of showing the world that we are
just like everyone else. Not all of us are fashionistas and have spotless, organized homes; for me a T-shirt and jeans are very appropriate dinner wear, the pile of recycling looks perfect in that corner and the last dinner party was a roaring suc- cess—if you count the fact more people brought alcohol than food. If it wasn’t a great success, it is not like we could remember. You know what other voice tells us we need not worry about our wardrobes?
Christ—yup you heard me. In the Gospel of Thomas Jesus says: “Do not worry, from morning to evening and from evening to morning, about what you are going to wear.” If that isn’t validation for me not having to dress up to go to work/church/ dinner or a pub, I don’t know what is. Why is it that so many try to tell you what God said and what was meant by a specific phrase? And tell me why it is, that so much of what was written in Christ’s time is not in the bible. Perhaps when the Bible was being put together, those who did so had an agenda—just like those who presume exact knowledge about the Bible’s meaning, even when they can be proven wrong. Anyone who attends a traditional Christian church has heard of the Gospels
of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. What you won’t hear sadly, are the other voices, different accounts of the life and teachings of Christ. The Gospels of Thomas, Mary, Judas, Truth, Hebrew, Philip and even an Infancy Gospel of Thomas that focuses on the childhood of Jesus. Maybe a spiteful boy that curses another boy who then dies, is not the happy story of the early Jesus—the same man who would later grow
up and show us the way, but is a story the early Christian Fathers wanted you to know about. I can understand why these same early Christian Fathers would not want you to
read the Gospel of Judas, in which it is proclaimed that Judas’s betrayal of Christ is done in obedience and according to Christ’s instructions. If true, this would cer- tainly change how one views the crucifixion of Christ. Add to that the teachings in the Gospel of Mary and Philip, that Christ never appeared physically to Mary; rather his resurrection was a vision given to her by God. One is left with the knowledge that some serious controversy would arise if this version were presented alongside the more traditional teaching, that Christ came back in person and met with Mary. No doubt you may be wondering what my purpose is in telling you this? Well
just maybe we need to look at religion, specifically Christianity, over again and in another light. Instead of focusing on the dominant voice that has spread so much judgment and hatred into the world, let’s look at the other voices that portray a very different story of Christ. While we can’t say for certain how accurate these other voices are, with the many revisions and translations the traditional gospels have undergone, we can’t say for certain how accurate those voices are today either. Beginning in September we at Christ Chapel MCC will be studying these other
voices; the Gnostic Gospels. Over several sermons and weekly Bible Studies on both Sunday and Thursday, a new voice will be explored—the other voices of God.
Come join us, you may just like what you hear.
“Well, just maybe we need to look at religion, specifically Christianity, over again. Instead of focusing on the dominant voice that has spread so much judgment and hatred into the world, let’s look at the other voices that portray a very different story of Christ.”
30 RAGE monthly | SEPTEMBER 2011
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