Somebody once told me that it was impossible to be transgender and to be a Christian at the same time. While it’s tempting to bust out my Bible and go toe-to-toe with these folks, pointing out every affirmation of gender outsiders in scripture, at the end of the day, all I can say is: I’m here. I’m transgender, I am a Christian, and I am here.
“Here,” in the church and in our society, is often a hard place to be. When I get discouraged, when I risk getting kicked out of the sanctuary, or out of the bathroom, I think of God’s promises in Isaiah 56, verses 1-8: “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel.”
- How have you seen God gather the “outcasts” in our world today?
- Where else in the Bible or sacred texts from other faith traditions do you see God welcoming those that society pushes to the margins?
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// CREDITS //
Spoken by Austen Hartke
Music by Dexter Britain
Footage by VideoBlocks and Pond5
Edited by Jim Kast-Keat
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