Yesterday was an important and historic day for equality in marriage rights for thousands of North Carolinians, and for many families who have been unable to enjoy the same legal recognition and protection of other families.  With the Supreme Court’s refusal to take up the issue of the circuit courts decision, the way in paved for North Carolina to begin issuing marriage licenses in the near future.  Virginia in fact will most probably begin issuing licenses in some countries within the next 24 hours.

For we people of faith who are inclusive of queer community this is an opportunity to reëxamine the ways we are inclusive of same sex couples and family, how we allow members to escape the gender binary without judgement and how we can be more Christ like in the radical way we show acceptance, affirmation and love.

For those of our churches who form the resistance to the progressive expansion of rights to same-sex couples, it is perhaps finally time that we accept that same-sex relationships are a part of our society’s landscape, and the only question left is how we will find ways for them to be part of our community of faith.  Perhaps instead of mirroring the church’s resistance to the racial desegregation in the south, and the Religious moral outrage of the church over interracial marriage, the church can leave behind this battle, affirm these new families, and move on with the business of living out the love of God here on earth.

Today is a day of celebration.  Today is a day where we celebrate for ourselves, our friends and our families as we take one step closer to a brighter tomorrow.

In Christ,

Andrew