Queer Theology Take Your Time To Figure Out Who You Are First – James 3:1-12
In this episode, we answer a question from Tumblr needing help finding proof that they can share with their mother. The follower wants to help their mother come around to the idea that one’s sexual or gender orientation is not a condemnation to hell. “Do you guys have any ideas on verses, passages, or stories with which I can prove to my mom that anyone ‘living a gay lifestyle’ (her choice of words, not mine) can still go to heaven?”
We then queer the text from James that practically says that you don’t have to be the teacher or leader or spokesperson for the community right off the bat. This goes especially to those who recently come out or those who feel burdened to carry the flag and teach the world about queerness. Remember that you are still in the process of getting to know your identity more. So just let those who have come before you do the work first and, until you are ready to lead, take the backseat and figure out who you are first.
Key Takeaways:
- What’s going on with Brian and Fr. Shay? [0:40]
- Listener question from Tumblr asking for any Biblical proof that queer folks can still go to heaven [9:31]
- Why Fr. Shay thinks this is a hard question to answer [10:13]
- What queer history has taught us about finding the “right” passage [12:33]
- More about the Soul Safe workshop [15:22]
- Queering the text: James 3:1-12 [18:07]
- Why Brian associates this text with the social media platform: Twitter [19:36]
- The importance of learning when to be a student, leader, teacher, volunteer, etc. [23:19]
- The impulse to become a leader [24:41]
Links and video mentioned in the podcast:
Fire Island video: https://www.queertheology.com/queer-sacred-sites/
Brian talks about Leviticus for 3 hours with a Baptist preacher, click here to see what he learned
Check out the Soul Safe Online workshop: https://go.queertheology.com/soul-safe/
If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology
If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com
James 3:1-12
My brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers, because we know that we teachers will be judged more strictly. We all make mistakes often, but those who don’t make mistakes with their words have reached full maturity. Like a bridled horse, they can control themselves entirely. When we bridle horses and put bits in their mouths to lead them wherever we want, we can control their whole bodies.
Consider ships: They are so large that strong winds are needed to drive them. But pilots direct their ships wherever they want with a little rudder. In the same way, even though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts wildly.
Think about this: A small flame can set a whole forest on fire. The tongue is a small flame of fire, a world of evil at work in us. It contaminates our entire lives. Because of it, the circle of life is set on fire. The tongue itself is set on fire by the flames of hell.
People can tame and already have tamed every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish. 8 No one can tame the tongue, though. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we both bless the Lord and Father and curse human beings made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it just shouldn’t be this way!
Both fresh water and salt water don’t come from the same spring, do they? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? Of course not, and fresh water doesn’t flow from a saltwater spring either.
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