There are so many things that are going on in this world, it is often hard to make sense. Whether it is gun violence, immigration, discrimination, or even political discourse, I believe that the underlying problem of our society is the fact that we have dehumanized our neighbors to the point where we can make the assertion that one life is better than another.  
 
If we really want to be honest about the Ten Commandments, all of them are about being part of the community and respecting others for who they are, and looking inward to ask ourselves how we are embodying the faith that we are called to follow. It is noteworthy that within the Ten Commandments themselves, there is no judgment, just an expectation of how we are called to live.
 
So, when I was asked to host the Transgender Day of Remembrance in November, I said yes without hesitation. As I walked through the sanctuary, my heart was pained because hanging on the walls were pictures of transgendered people who had been murdered or committed suicide. These were people others had decided were subhuman or not whole—so much so, they could judge them and either exterminate them or force them to kill themselves. What was so disturbing was knowing the history and the role faith has played in so much of that judgment.
 
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have historically had real issues with accepting people of sexual minorities. In our tradition, this discrimination is mostly based in theological writings and practices that are not biblically based.  In fact, the “biblical” insights that discuss sexual minorities are a very small number of passages.  
 
The interesting thing about those passages is that their interpretation is often taken out of the context in which they are found.  For example, the decree in Leviticus is not in the sections on sexuality, but in the religious practice section, alluding to other common religious practices where sex was regularly part of worship. It is interesting that our denomination, and most mainline churches for that matter, split over these interpretations. 
 
What makes it all the more interesting is the story of the Ethiopian eunuch[1], the first gentile baptized.  It was fairly common that royalty would have eunuchs in their court. Often they would have fairly high positions, as is the case in this story, where this man was a court official to the queen.  
 
What I find most interesting thing about the story of the Ethiopian eunuch is how unremarkable it is. At its core, it is merely a story of a man struggling with scripture. The Spirit guides Philip to engage the man, they have a Bible study of sorts, the man comes to believe and is baptized. 
 
As you can see, it is fairly routine. Many of us have had similar experiences when sharing the Good News of Christ. What makes this story so remarkable, beyond the fact that this was the first baptism of a non-Jew, was that he was a sexual minority that would have been excluded from most religions at that time. Some write it off a coincidence, but the Bible always has a deeper meaning in what it is doing. Here it is clear that the point the Bible is making is that no matter where someone is coming from, they can be welcomed into the faith.  
 
This is one of the great tensions of faith: we have to name our prejudice and admit that it is based in our desire for power and control in this world. Unfortunately, the more power and control we have, the more our egos make us act like we are gods ourselves, determining who is worthy and who is not.
 
It is interesting that my father, who grew up in a very conservative German Lutheran (now Missouri Synod) church, believes that if someone asks to be baptized, they should be baptized right away and that any believer should be able to do it, because it’s ultimately God, not the individual that is doing the baptism. I tend to agree, but this is dangerous, because it means that we have to trust that the Spirit is really at work and put aside our prejudice. 
 
We are called to be the church, a church that is not guided by the whims of individuals but by the discernment of the Holy Spirit—a Holy Spirit that calls us to welcome all, especially the Ethiopian eunuch.

In Christ,
Bryan

[1]A eunuch is a male who has been rendered incapable of procreation through some form of castration.
Picture is from wikipedia.com and is an Illustration from the Menologion of Basil II of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

Like the Hawaiian greeting "Aloha" or the Hebrew "Shalom," the greeting “Peace be with you” is a common way that Christians introduce themselves into an everyday situation as well as depart from it.  I began to think of this phrase the other day when I left the hospital and out of habit, I said, “Peace be with you” to someone who was unconscious.  Like many things we do, saying “Peace be with you” is something that I was taught to say, but never really gave a great deal of thought to until I decided to look it up in the Bible.
 
"Peace be with you" is a quintessential New Testament phrase with the only close relation in the Old Testament found in Job, which, loosely translated, says, "May you find peace in the fact that God is with you."  This is not too far off from what the writers Luke and John point to in their use of "Peace be with you."  In each occurrence, it is in the voice of Christ and is often linked to a deeper revelation of Christ.  In John 20, in each of three appearances, the risen Lord greets the disciples with “Peace be with you.”  I hope you realize the humorous nature of Christ’s appearances here, since in each one, they are behind closed doors, in the dark.  Obviously, the disciples were not at peace, even though the revelation had come to fruition. Therefore, we can see the spark of irony or even humor that is found here.
 
Most of the other places in the New Testament this phrase appears are in the midst of the Pauline epistles.  In Greek, the word “peace” is εἰρήνη. The Friburg Lexicon defines it as:


εἰρήνη, ης, ἡ peace; (1) literally, as a state of peace (LU 14.32), opposite πόλεμος (armed conflict, war); figuratively, as an agreement between persons (JA 3.18), in contrast to διαμερισμός(division, dissension); (2) as a greeting or farewell corresponding to the Hebrew word shalom: health, welfare, peace (to you) (1T 1.2); (3) as a religious disposition characterized by inner rest and harmony peace, freedom from anxiety (RO 15.13); (4) as a state of reconciliation with God (GA 5.22); (5) of an end-time condition, as the salvation of mankind brought about through Christ's reign (LU 2.14; AC 10.36).
 
Peace can be difficult to achieve, especially when we place ourselves in the middle of controversy or distress. If there is anything that we learn from Job or the Gospel of John, it is that peace is a function that can only result from allowing God to work his peace in this world.  
 
Some might say, “But I do work for peace,” but here is the real kicker.  In order for peace to grab hold, we need to let ourselves be given over to God, no strings attached.   Granted, this is virtually impossible in the midst of our society.  We operate—myself included—in the reality and complexity of our social structure, which causes us to give up peace in lieu of safety, security, and sometimes, personal comfort.
 
In discussing grace, Bonhoeffer distinguishes between costly grace and cheap grace.  He argues that the grace God offers is a costly one, because in its end, it calls us to give everything over to God, as opposed to a cheap grace which requires nothing.  Here is where peace and grace become similar, in that true peace will come only when the whole of the earth accepts and welcomes that peace.  Until then, we can only work for peace in our little corner of the world.  
 
Here in our community, putting God’s call for us to work for justice and equal voice among all its residents is one way to bring peace among us.  Among many ways to bring peace to our part of the world is to reach out to others and reconcile estrangements. Opening our ears and eyes to see and hear how God is calling us is yet another, as well as changing to meet other people’s needs. 
 
So, when we turn to each other on Sunday morning and offer peace, I hope you remember this note.  I hope that you realize when we say, “Peace be with you,” we are making a pledge to work together as a community.  Furthermore, we are calling each other to step out of our “box” and let the spirit of God guide us in whichever way God chooses.  In this, I say: Peace be with you!