Christian Erased

This past weekend I went to see "Boy Erased," the new movie about a teenager who is sent to "conversion therapy" to "cure" his homosexuality.  It is a powerful, chilling movie.  Conversion therapy is popular among conservative Christian groups.  The movie tells us that 36 states allow parents to place their children in these programs, and that 700,000 people in the U.S. have been "treated."  There is no data showing that these programs actually result in happy heterosexuals.  Even if they did, they raise the question of why anyone should try to change.  You see, I don't think LGBTQ life is lesser than heterosexual life.  In fact, I know it isn't.

As I left the theater, I was profoundly aware of the cross I wear.  I know it's a signal to many people, for good and for ill, but I'm rarely uncomfortable wearing it.  I was that day.  I wanted to shout to the other movie patrons, "That is not my Christianity!"  In fact, I don't think it's Christianity at all.  I don't think Jesus was in the business of isolating young people, shaming them, intimidating them, condemning them.  I don't think Jesus was more concerned about sexuality than about social justice, caring for the poor, or peace.  I know many other people agree.  But we are rarely the face of Christianity that makes news.

I wonder what sort of conversion therapy is needed for Christians to become followers of Jesus.  Clearly our current churches are lacking something.  The ones who are fierce about formation are usually the toxic ones, while the progressive churches seem sometimes to leave Jesus and devotion as an afterthought to social action.

Here among the Companions, we are trying to let God form us, to re-form us into the image She intended before we began erasing it.  We're just a tiny crew in a little boat on a giant sea, but we aren't the first such.  I pray for conversion of heart, mind, and soul, for myself and for those who would erase the innate beauty of others and themselves.  Pray that we may let God re-form us into a bold loving community across boundaries of dogma, sexuality, race, gender, class, nationality, language - across boundaries.  Let's erase the whatever stands between us and following Jesus.