Reading:
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God…
-2 Corinthians 6:2-7
Reflection:
In some ways, I’m lucky. The outside world never afflicted me with any great hardships or calamities during my struggle to come to terms with my sexuality. But one’s foes may be internal, as well as external and, when I was younger, I often found myself divided. Rationally, as a hopefully progressive intellectual, I could accept the idea that homosexuality was a valid orientation. But, emotionally, I had difficulty acknowledging that it was my own orientation. “Why can’t I be ‘normal'”? I wailed internally. It took years of patience to accept myself, and to feel comfortable and proud about that. But I have been blessed not only with patience, but also with the gift of a wonderful loving partner. So, today, at the beginning of Lent, I can – perhaps surprisingly – find comfort in the Ash Wednesday liturgy. Yes, the imposition of ashes reminds me of my mortality. But those ashes on my forehead also affirm my identity and my worth: mortal I may be, yet I am I, a child of God; there is no one else exactly like me, nor will there ever be. And that is a wonder and a reason for praising God.
-Jack Anderson
Prayer:
Almighty and ever-living God, you hate nothing you have made and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and honest hearts, so that, truly repenting of our sins, we may obtain from you, the God of all mercy, full pardon and forgiveness.
Visible Witness from the Intersection 