"PRAY FOR ME"

This is Bishop Gene's plea to us in his blog from Canterbury. Go on over and read the whole message. He is hurting -- and angry. He is feeling the pains of being a gay person in what is assumed by straight people to be a straight world. Well, people, it ISN'T a straight world. It is a great big conglomeration of a LOT of differences, sexuality being probably one of the least of differences. I will pray for Bishop Gene.

I remember being different. For some reason, around the age of twelve, my style of walking was just not right. I walked with my forehead leading the way and my butt bringing up a prominent rear. And my strides were very long. I didn't know about this difference until one day in the classroom a fellow student did a gross imitation of my walk and the resultant sniggering from my classmates was so embarrassing. Humiliating. I looked different. I was different. The same but different. Why is it that some differences are so painful? I think in many instances it is because other people are not willing to accept differences and are very quick to make issues about them. I will pray for Bishop Gene.

Bishop Gene is different because he is a Bishop -- we don't have many of those. He is also gay. I don't really know how many gay Bishops there are -- probably a lot more than we think. Bishop Gene has chosen to be honest and forthright about his life. I will pray for Bishop Gene.

The pain of living amongst the reactions of others to being different is always present. I know that my son, Jeffri, does not generally talk about it, but once in while something slips into our conversation together and I know that he experiences a LOT of discomfort from being who he is -- a gay man. There is hurt and anger, sometimes fear, self doubt. Life isn't easy. I pray for Jeffri and I will pray for Bishop Gene.

All of the Bishops need my prayer. And I will certainly pray for them as they come together at Lambeth -- without Bishop Gene, of course. I am personally angry that he was not invited. They all need to be given a time out. Who's right? Who's wrong? Who cares? Just grow up and learn that walking in the other person's shoes gives everything a whole different sense of being. I will pray for the work at Lambeth. I will pray for bishop Gene.