I'm Sorry.

This is something I have said before, in passing, but recent conversations have made it clear to me that it is something that needs to be said, louder.

I am sorry for the ways in which many of my readers have been poorly treated, or even abused, by Christianity.

Now I know I'm not the one who did it, nor one of the ones who stood by and watched while it was done. But I am a Christian, a Christian leader to boot, and so I am a part of the organization that was culpable in what happened to you.

I've spent a fair amount of time over the last couple years, while writing this blog, looking for a better approach to those people than the vox standard "Not All Christians are Like that." We're not, but that's not the point. While I could simply disavow their actions and go about my business, that doesn't change the fact that many people are being hurt by people who claim to share my faith every day, and those victims aren't so lucky. #notallchristians does them no good when Westboro baptist is shouting at their loved ones funeral, or when family drives them out in the name of a supposedly loving God.

If I am serious about being someone who loves others in the name of Christ, and especially if I am serious about being a leader of others who do so, then to simply disavow such actions is an act of laziness, and if I am being honest, privilege.

I have dedicated a lot of my ministry to fighting such behavior, both in education for those who call me pastor and by being a voice standing against those who, I believe, distort my faith in the image of their prejudices.

I believe that those people are wrong, that they abuse the Scriptures and the Church when they use them to harm others. I will do what I can to fight them, and to show them better ways. But no matter how hard I try, or how many people I reach, the problem remains.

Maybe one day they will see the error of their ways, and in an attempt to make amends, share their own apologies. God grant it be so.

But in the meantime, for the part that I play in the organization that has failed, hurt, abused, and murdered so many, I am deeply, deeply sorry. You did not deserve the way you were treated. You are a beautiful person who deserves love and respect, and the group that I am partially responsible for failed to do so.

Part of that is on me, regardless of my actions, and for that part, you have my apologies. I understand if what you suffered means you never want to be one of us, I am not seeking conversions or returns to the church for this post, like always, such is not my intention.

You deserved better, and we failed you.

I am sorry.

Super Hero Pastor, DC edition

A few weeks back I did a write up talking about how I would be as a Pastor to various Superheroes, based on the excellent Priest from the Daredevil series. (BTW, I really liked season 2, though it wasn't as good as season 1, with the very limited use of the Priest definitely part of the reason for that.)

I asked folks to request other heroes I could do, and the main request I got was what it would be like to be a Pastor for various DC heroes, so here we go!

Batman: Man, this would be complicated. It's never easy to be the Pastor for a highly established, wealthy family, because there is always the pressure to kowtow to them in order to keep those tithes coming in. The pressure of being Pastor to Bruce Wayne would be enormous, suspecting that there was more to him than the freewheeling Playboy he always presented himself as. Suppose then I, somehow, learn that he is really Batman... what then?

Similar to Matt Murdoch, I think I become a conscience of sorts, aware of what he was doing and open to talking whenever he felt the need. There are a few religiously based villains in his Rogues Gallery, and so it seems pretty obvious that I would get caught up in some of their shenanigans, or possibly just captured and driven mad by Ras al'Ghul.

Even so, I'm pretty sure that if I died or was permanently disabled, the Thomas and Martha Wayne foundations would see to it my family was taken care of, so I'd have that going for me.

Superman: I can easily see Clark Kent as a regular attendant at church, rather busy with his work at the paper but taking part whenever he can and being super helpful on Church cleanup days. Great for heavy lifting! Then, maybe someday I preach a sermon about people being loved by God for who they are and Clark comes to my office and says; "Who is that, exactly?" And tells me that he is Superman.

At first I'm intimidated. I mean, of COURSE I am. Hello, flying Jesus metaphor! Except, I've never really seen him that way, and added to the fact that I undoubtedly know and adore Clark Kent... we start talking about who is he actually is, what makes him happy, what he does and why he does it. We deal with the tragedy of Krypton and his sense of the world weighing on his shoulders. In the end, I think he would be the most normal of all of the folks I talk about here... because while he is Superman, he is really trying just to be a good guy. A lot like Cap, actually.

Wonder Woman: Having trouble picturing Diana attending church, but eh, let's say Ms. Prince primarily does it to keep up appearances. I try to get to know her and start to develop a friendship once she is properly convinced I'm not going to just tell her to join the cleaning rota and do as she's told... but then what?

We're talking about a Character who, like Thor, has walked with beings humanity has called Gods. And so she talks to me. About what? Maybe we just wrestle with philosophy or she just wants me to see the real her. She knows who she is, is confident in it. Would I be confident in me after that conversation? I honestly have no idea.

I'd read the shit out of that comic, though. Or write it, maybe.

Anyone big I should bring up that I haven't yet?