Pride: The Mountain Laurelers Speak Out

"Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that." 
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The happy news from the woods is that Pennsylvania's state flower, mountain laurel, is in bloom now. The huge bushes covered in delicate flowers are lighting up the forests in shades of pale pink, bright pink, and white. 

Several of the blooms had fallen from one of the plants I was photographing, most likely due to recent rains, and I tucked enough of them into my daysack pocket to provide fancy chapeaus for my gang.

I brought the flowers home and everybody got a mountain laurel hat. I like to think of the crew as The Mountain Laurelers, sort of like carolers, but going around spreading goodwill, and pretty flowers, as they wear their fancy hats.

I am typing this blip on Saturday morning. And here is where our tale takes a more serious turn. The Mountain Laurelers and I have read some overnight news, and we feel compelled to speak out. As it has been laid upon my heart, I have no choice: I must comply. So here we go.

One of the downtown churches - the Faith United Church of Christ - had its Pride flag set on fire, in a string of targeted vandalism which I am calling acts of symbolic violence. The flag was new, and was put up just 3 days ago. Several other churches experienced such attacks. Here is pastor Jes Kast's response.

As I said to my board tonight, we are a church who follows the resurrected Jesus Christ. Christ who does not beget violence with violence. The windows in our sanctuary say “Blessed are the peacemakers” and that is who we have been and who we resolutely will be. Love is the way of God.

To all, please do not let these inflamed times promote violence. We all have a choice in how we respond and I beg us all to keep choosing the courage to love and the courage of peace. I beg us all, love your neighbor. It is the only way to the common good for all.

I'd like to add some remarks to hers. Do you call yourself a Christian? Then stand FIRM as a witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Refuse to act in hate toward your fellow human beings. REFUSE. And I will do the same. 

As I say to my husband ALL THE TIME, Jesus is watching. Oh, and if you choose to act in hate every dang day, spew verbal filth against others, and persecute individuals who are not like you, PLEASE stop CALLING yourself a Christian. It really p*sses Jesus off. Don't make him go all "Money Changers in the Temple" on us now. Please.

And if you're NOT a believer? Well, you too have the opportunity to choose to commit acts of love and grace toward your fellow human beings, and even toward ALL of God's creatures. For God made us ALL, and called it good.

If you can't jump on the Pride parade, at least have the common decency to sit this one out, and let the people have their parades. In the immortal words of my mother, Norma Colyer, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." And Kacey Musgraves has a song that applies here too, I think: "Just mind your own biscuits, and life will be gravy."

We have TWO soundtrack songs for our posting on this day, in which, quite by surprise, I find myself preaching a sermon on love and tolerance and mutual respect. First is U2, with Pride (In the Name of Love). Second is Kacey Musgraves, with Biscuits.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these . . . is love.
~ 1 Corinthians 13:13