I was reviewing a document at work when I discovered reference to Camp Ten Oaks: a one-week event during the summer that specifically reaches out to LGBTQ youth. (The image at right was part of the document: click for a larger version.) It struck an odd chord in me: on the one had I love to camp and feel at home in nature. Even at 50+, Tim and I go camping every year as often as we can. But I also remember the organized camp experiences of my youth as barely less than traumatic. I was not a typical boy in many respects, and the camp activities that were emphasized in the 70s were all about simulating conformity and rewarding qualities that were most extroverted. I knew I was gay from a young age: I just didn’t want to admit it. It is good to see that there are programs in place to encourage young people to discover who they are andto be themselves.
Yet it seems that the church is behind in this regard. We like our stereotypes in the church, and we like things to work as they always have. With a 2000+ year history this is understandable, but it is hardly excusable. This is one of the reasons that the church is losing relevance among the youth of today: we have not kept up with rapidly changing social patterns. We ignored the rising LGBTQ+ identifying community for a long time, because they were small and we didn’t see how they fit with our “traditional” interpretation of the rules. That was to our detriment. Now even among non-queer communities, that discrimination rings out. The situation can still be salvaged, but we must recognize our weaknesses and out mistakes.
There are a thousand ways to reach out to communities that we have damaged. We just have to do it.
The Qristian's Corner 