Today’s author is Prince of Peace member, Carol Swanson.

When we started the process of becoming a Reconciled in Christ congregation, I looked at the website, ReconcilingWorks.org, and bought an excellent book titled Transforming: The Bible & the Lives of Transgender Christians. The author is Austen Hartke, described on the back cover as “the creator of the YouTube series Transgender and Christian, which seeks to understand, interpret, and share parts of the Bible that relate to gender identity and the lives of transgender individuals. Hartke is a graduate of Luther Seminary’s Master of Arts program in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Studies and winner of Luther’s 2014 John Milton Prize in Old Testament Writing.”  I highly recommend it, and it will be in the PoP library by June 1.  Here I offer some quotes that connect with our recent Sunday texts from the Book of Acts.

When I first started making YouTube videos about being transgender and Christian, I figured there would be some pushback. As a general rule, people are more willing to be cruel online, where they can choose to hide behind an anonymous avatar, and I assumed I’d get some rude comments. What I didn’t expect was the number of people who would leave long comments accusing me of not being a “real Christian.” …

We find people excommunicating each other and disagreeing about the validity of other people’s faith in Scripture too, especially in Paul’s Letter to the Galatians and in the Acts of the Apostles. …Some thought that only Jews who wanted to follow Jesus should be able to convert, while others thought that Gentiles (non-Jews) should be able to be baptized as well. These questions were pressing, because, even as the debates raged in Jerusalem and through letters back and forth across the Roman world, followers of Jesus were out spreading the gospel without any official guidelines! (pp 113-114)

Hartke goes on to share the story in Acts 8 when the Holy Spirit tells Philip to go over to the Ethiopian eunuch “whose name we never learn [and] was outside the boundaries of gender, race, class, and religion––a quadruple threat.” (p 115).  Hartke weaves his commentaries with the life journeys and views of transgender people–– in this chapter a transgender woman from a Catholic Latino family who faced similar barriers. Hartke sums up the chapter Nothing Can Prevent Me:

In a way, the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch is a story about two conversions. The eunuch may be the one who gets baptized, but Philip is the person who has to change his metric for who’s in and who’s out. Even though this story is two thousand years old, a third conversion is still taking place: will the church eventually realize that when God’s love overpowers all human distinctions, nothing can prevent us from full inclusion? (p 127)

In his concluding chapter, Hartke writes:

At this messy, loveable, chaotic potluck that is life in the church, transgender Christians have a lot to bring to the table. We can help the church see Scripture through different lenses; we can help other Christians understand their own gender identities; we can help to break down barriers created by sexism and misogyny; we can remind people of the diversity of God’s creation, and of God’s unlimited nature; we can stand in the gaps and bridge middle spaces where others may be uncomfortable or uninformed; we can help make connections between the sacred and the secular, making the church more relevant for the world, and we can provoke people into asking questions about themselves and about God that they many never have thought to ask before. (p169)

Let us pray, (adapted from our Easter Season Litany)

Creator and Giver of Life, help us see Christ is risen!
The story does not end at the empty tomb.
Resurrection is only the beginning.
The road stretches ahead, filled with questions, surprises, and new beginnings.
We walk it with wonder, hope, and open hearts.
You, God, meet us in our confusion, our joy, and our longing.
Our unfinished stories are held in your hands.
When the path is uncertain, your Spirit goes before us.
When we are afraid, we thank you, Jesus, as you walk beside us.
When we rejoice, the whole Body of Christ celebrates with us.
We are not alone—our story is part of your greater story.
Lead us into the mystery of resurrection life.
Open our hearts and empower our willing spirits.
Amen.