The Turning Point by Cheri Holdridge (with an assist by Patti Lusher)

        

I watched a video this week of actress Nichelle Nichols reflecting on her life and the time she had a chance to meet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Does anyone know what role Nichelle Nichols made famous? She was Lieutenant Uhura, the communications officer on the Starship Enterprise on the popular television show, “Star Trek.” I did not realize that it was quite a big deal for this cast, and the crew of the Enterprise to be racially integrated in 1966.  

         Then apparently, in the first year there was an episode when Uhura and Captain Kirk’s characters were taken over by aliens and they kissed. It was the first interracial kiss on TV. There was a huge uproar, especially in the South. People from the South told her they were forbidden to watch it because it was integrated. After that kiss, and all the backlash, Nichols found that her character’s role was being minimalized in the show. She would have fewer and fewer lines in each script and when she did have lines they would get edited out in the rewrites. She was contemplating leaving the show when she had the occasion to meet Dr. King. He told her he was one of her biggest fans. He also told her that Uhura is a symbol. He said: those of us “who are fighting the good fight stop and watch you on Thursday nights.” 

         You see, her work was really important as a role model to young African American women and girls. He encouraged her not to quit and said to her: "Once that door is opened by someone, no one else can close it again.” After the show was canceled she began work recruiting for NASA. She went to universities and through her work several women and African American men were recruited for NASA including Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, and Colonel Guion Bluford, the first African-American astronaut. But, she almost quit. It was a turning point in her life. She met Dr. King and he encouraged her to stay in the good fight. Who knew being an actress could lead one to becoming a symbol inspiring other people?

         Just imagine for a moment how many people in how many different life situations were touched by Dr. King and that movement, and faced a turning point. They faced a situation where they could say “Yes, I’m in” or “No, the cost is too great.” There were plenty of reasons to say no: 1) it’s scary; 2) I don’t feel I have the skills to be an advocate for civil rights; 3) I could get killed. 

         There were also some great reasons to say yes: 1) The oppression of people is wrong and I want to do the right thing; I don’t want to participate in this evil system; 2) Even if I don’t live to see justice fully realized, I want a better world for my children and grandchildren; 3) my faith is calling me to say “yes.”  You know Dr. King was absolutely motivated by his faith.

         This scripture has been one that has guided people of faith in movements for change for generations. As Jesus was ready to begin his formal ministry he went to the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. This would be a common practice for him. He was asked to read the scripture that day. And it just so happened that the scripture was a prophecy from Isaiah: 

God’s Spirit is on me;
    he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and
    recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free,
    to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”

         But then he said something that really shook them up. He said: “You’ve just heard Scripture make history because I’m the one that’s going to make it come true. It came true just now in this place.”  That was a turning point for Jesus. He was off and running.

         You see, he set the agenda for his ministry. He told them, “God has chosen me.” He said: “Now is the time.” No more waiting. Let’s get started. 

         He made a bold move. I love bold. Bold is good. Bold is great. Dr. King was bold. The people who responded to Dr. King were bold. He paid for his boldness with his life. He knew he would, and he did not regret it one bit.  He said so in that speech. 

       Good news for the poor, pardon for us from whatever imprisons us, recovery from what blinds us; to be set free from our burdens. This is what it is all about, my friends. If we really want to follow Jesus and change the world, these are our marching orders right here.  We could live our whole lives around that scripture.

        

         So what are we going to do about it?

         Well if you are going to change the world, it is usually good to start with what you know. Start with your strengths – your assets. We are a church, even before we had doors, (literally, the first Sunday a group of us gathered in a parking lot to do some clean up before we had the keys to our building), and we committed ourselves to being a Reconciling and an Open and Affirming Church in the United Methodist and United Church of Christ denominations. This means that we fully welcome, accept and include in leadership gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. This stand puts us in the minority among faith communities in NW Ohio. This is one of our strengths. It is not our only strength, but it is one of them. LGBT people feel welcome here and straight allies who want to be part of a church that welcomes everyone feel at home here.  We don’t want to be in a church full of haters.

         But in the world, many people still don’t think churches like ours exist. The dominant message out there is still “God hates gay people.” It has been the message for a few millennium and we need a bigger megaphone in order to be heard over the voices of the religious leaders who are still sending that message. There are people of faith who think that God loves everybody.  That’s what the bible says.

         Yesterday, you may have heard, I was at an Ohio Faith Summit in Columbus. This was part of my new part time job as the Ohio Field Coordinator for the Reconciling Ministries Network. We gathered about 40 faith leaders from across Ohio to begin training people to launch a faith based campaign. We will be working alongside Equality Ohio on a massive effort over the next 3 years. The plan is to educate people in Ohio, to tell our stories and to change hearts and minds. In the end, we want the legislature to vote to give legal protections in work and housing for LGBT people and we want the citizens of Ohio to vote for marriage equality on a ballot measure.  No more discrimination legally and we’re going to let everybody who wants to get married, do so.

         Now here is the thing. Dr. King once said that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice. So we can see that the arc of justice is already bending toward all these things. Change is coming. Yesterday my wise friend David Beckwith said this: the question for us is: will the church be seen on the right side of history when justice is achieved? Because right now we are viewed out there in the world as being on the wrong side of justice. We are going to have to get loud and proud, and get out there and work, in order for the world to see that people of faith, people who love and serve Jesus, are on the right side of history in the cause of equality for LGBT persons.

         We launched three strategies yesterday and The Village and other congregations across Ohio are invited to be a part of these strategies. 1) be more visible year round. Yes, we go to Pride. There are ways we can be visible not just to LGBT folks, but to the wide community. We need to let NW Ohio know that there are Christians who believe God loves gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people. We need a plan for how to do that. 2) People you know conversations. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force worked in Minnesota to win marriage equality there last year. The centerpiece of their strategy was People You Know conversations. It started with two people who said they would go to a two hour training in deep listening and telling their stories. They were joined by 3 more people, which took them to five. Five months later, they had had 26,000 People You Know conversations (that they could track) initiated by people of faith in Minnesota. They would not have won marriage equality without this strategy. We have an opportunity to have this training at The Village whenever we are ready.  We all agree on this here but it doesn’t do any good unless we talk to other people. 3) Gender Justice Education. We know that part of the resistance to legislation around protections in housing and work will be around transgender persons. So we want to address this upfront with training. Allies need to be educated. We need to understand the context and concerns of transgender persons. Transgender persons will also be included in what we call Gender Justice Education. The Village, when we first opened, helped to launch the only Trans Support group in NW Ohio but we are not experts. We would benefit from some learning; and we can help teach others from our experience.

         A great deal of amazing work is going to be happening in Ohio between now and 2016. We are in the midst of a huge turning point for our state. I have already agreed to be a part of it, personally. We as a congregation have to decide to what extent we want to join in. It could be a few of you as individuals who volunteer or it could be a massive priority for our congregation. I can’t make that decision for you. You have to decide.

         I do know this. The change that Dr. King ignited in this country demanded a huge army of people. You can’t do a bus boycott effectively without a buy in. Lunch counter sit-ins take trained, disciplined volunteers. Voter registration is a massive door to door campaign. But with training and support, any effort for change is achievable. 

         And it’s achievable because we have a wild card. We have power. 

       When we are working for justice, God is with us. God gives us the courage when we feel scared. God gives us the skills when we feel ill-equipped. God gives us the strength when we are weary. God gives us the hope when we are in despair.

         So I ask you, are you at a turning point? Is God asking you to take a step and join the work for equality for LGBT persons in Ohio and to be more visible in your witness? Could you be trained to have conversations with people you know? Are you called to be trained in Gender Justice Education so you can be a fierce advocate for transgender inclusion in this campaign? Or perhaps there is some other thing, in some other direction to which God is calling you and that is your turning point? 

         I want to invite us into a time of prayer and listening to God. Ask God if this is a turning point for you, if God is calling you to act to change the world. Then I will lead us in a time of prayer together.