Here

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.”

  1. How have you seen God gather the “outcasts” in our world today?
  2. Where else in the Bible or sacred texts from other faith traditions do you see God welcoming those that society pushes to the margins?

Watch the complete #Pride2016 series to hear more reflections from trans and gender nonconforming people.

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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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