I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.
In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus teaches his disciples how to live faithfully as they await God’s kingdom. He says that whatever we do to the least of his siblings, we do to him. Among many radical acts of love, Jesus commends in his faithful followers by saying, “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.” Likewise, Hebrews 13:2 calls Christians to show hospitality to strangers, recalling how Abraham unknowingly broke bread with the angel of the LORD in Genesis 18. Scripture suggests that by generously welcoming those we don’t know, we simultaneously welcome God. Welcoming the stranger is a way we live into our baptismal promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons. As we support our LGBTQIA+ siblings this National Coming Out Day on October 11, we as Christians have an invitation to know more of Jesus as we create space for people to make themselves known.
Loving others as we love ourselves is at the foundation of our calling as followers of Jesus, but for many LGBTQIA+ people, learning to love ourselves can be a journey. Even as we receive Christ’s call to show hospitality to strangers, we also have to welcome the stranger within. Many of us grow up in cultures with expectations about who we will love, how to be a woman or man, and what it means to be a family. Going against these expectations can cause social and relational tension. In some cases, breaking norms around sexuality and gender can result in economic, religious, and political persecution. As a result, LGBTQIA+ people are often invisible, either as a result of others assuming we are “normal” or as a way to survive hostility.
National Coming Out Day began in 1988 to combat that invisibility. It came on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on October 11, 1987, and has been observed on October 11 every year since. Queer civil rights leaders recognized that visibility was key for LGBTQIA+ people to build community, support, and advocacy. To “come out” means to share one’s full self with others, to make visible core truths about who we are and how we relate to other people. It is a way of welcoming the stranger within and sharing the unexpected parts of ourselves with God and His people as a key part of our spiritual and personal growth. And for all Christians, practicing hospitality for people as they come out is a way for us to welcome Christ in others.
In times of conflict, uncertainty, and despair, the church proclaims the love of Christ in our fellowship, faith, and hope. When we are clear about our commitment to incorporate LGBTQIA+ people in all aspects of our life and ministry, we foster communities where people can fully share their God-given selves with others. God calls us to share a faith that sets people free and transforms fear into love. When people are afraid, we are empowered to share our hope in a liberating and life-giving God who by the Holy Spirit is working here and now. In light of this, we can engage faithfully with this National Coming Out Day by:
- Praying and giving thanks for LGBTQIA+ community, as they share who they are, and for those who for whatever reason are compelled to conceal their identities.
- Advocating for the dignity and equality of LGBTQIA+ people in our communities and articulating our commitment to affirm and celebrate the ways sexual and gender diversity express the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
- Listening attentively to the experiences of our LGBTQIA+ neighbors – rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn (Romans 12:15).
- Connecting with LGBTQIA+ people and parents and caregivers of LGBTQIA+ children to hear how we can support and celebrate them.
National Coming Out Day can be a moment for us as Christians to welcome our neighbors and siblings as they bring all of who they are to the table. In embracing them, we embrace Christ in them, and we receive the blessed joy of knowing that Christ has, and will, fully embrace us all.
This article was submitted by Brandon Smee, member of the LGBTQIA+ Committee and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.
