To My Friend Tim...the Latitudinarian

This is personal.  If you follow this blog, you might not understand it all, and that's okay.  I'm not writing it for you.  I'm writing for a friend of mine, a former clergyman of The Salvation Army, whose happens to be bisexual. 

Tim,

Until your Uncle Pat came into my life via amateur radio, quite by accident, I had zero knowledge of The Salvation Army.  Over the course of our friendship, I think he desperately wanted me to become a soldier in the Army.  I just couldn't.  Why?  Although I believed in the Army's mission, I was already actively churched (Methodist), plus I smoked and drank wine.  Further damning was the fact that I was twice divorced.  Even if I had wanted to become a soldier, I was already rejected.

I never pursued soldierhood because, in my mortal mind, even if I got rid of my vices, my past would follow me to perdition.  I didn't want to be part of a church that would judge me before I ever got in it.  Interestingly, although your Uncle Pat never smoked a day of his life, he died of lung problems that doctors didn't seem to be able to control.  And here I was, a smoker, still living.  I still don't understand it. 

I did attend a few Holiness services at Eagle Creek Corps in Indianapolis, plus other at the District and Illinois divisional locations with Pat and Carmella.  We never addressed too many issues other than providing for the poor and hopeless in disaster times.  My biggest beef with TSA was that the organization dictated whom one could marry.  Officers had to marry officers, no matter what.  That robbed everyone in the TSA clergy of their autonomic citizenship.  There was an elephant in the room that we never discussed.  Being a man of his word, when you ran into the problems that dictated your divorce, he never divulged your problems to me.  It was only through our associations on Facebook that I even have a clue.  And you know what?  It doesn't matter to me!

I believe in the Bible as a guide for how to live.  It was written several millenia ago, before society got to where it is now.  Is it the word of God?  Well...it was written by humans, and humans are slaves to their own interpretations.  I am a loyal skeptic.  When I hear of Bible-pounding Christian clerics having extra-marital affairs or molesting children or endorsing politicians who are the absolute antithesis of Christian values, I want to pretend that I'm not part of them.  It hurts.  It hurts, big time.

For any denomination to kick someone out of their fellowship is a negation of terms.  So...we are here to help the poor, the destitute, the homeless, and the addicted...but if they are gay, they can't be part of us?  These are the very people we need to draw in...to tell them that God loves them, no matter who/what they are or who they love.   Really, Tim...if The Salvation Army casts someone out, what other hope is there?  For many, TSA is the hope of acceptance and unconditional love.  Apparently not.

I am happy that you have found a church home beyond TSA.  I'm certain that it puts you at odds with your family, whose very roots go back a long way in TSA.  What I want you to know, from my own understanding, is that who you are and what you believe do not define you to the Almighty.  Your relationship with God is personal, and no one can keep you from Him.  I'm ashamed of TSA for what it has done to you...but I don't want you ever to question your devotion to God or Country because you have already given so much.

Tim, you have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to make sense out of nonsense in issues of faith.  What I want for you now is to give that up and just enjoy your blessings and be God's servant, no matter who likes or doesn't like you.  You are so blessed!  In spite of the pain, there aren't many who have received what you have had by way of experiences to advance God's Kingdom, in Germany and at home.

May God bless you and your family on this lovely spring day!

Peggy