Tomorrow is the beginning of Pride 2015. It's a big and important month for me and my fellow LGBT brothers and sisters. I wish to begin my celebration this year with a prayer by Chris Glaser from his collection entitled, "Coming Out To God".
God, I believe
self-denial
may become
self-denying.
That virtue might become a vice
in which we are caught,
our life squeezed from us.
Such is not the saintliness you ask of us:
self-denial should never become self-denying,
but should rather lead to self-affirming,
affirming the soul, created in your image:
an integrity of body and spirit.
God of integrity,
lead me carefully along the narrow path
between human arrogance and pride
and self-negation.
Help me to ask my due.
Help me not to fear, or be nervous,
or apologetic, or self-deprecating.
Give me strength and power
to convince others of my just cause.
Keep me from being perceived as demanding,
but help me rather
to be viewed as hopeful and worthy.
Teach me to receive in gratitude,
and feel affirmed
rather than embarrassed, ashamed, or unworthy.
God, from whose womb we are born
and reborn,
you call us to be ourselves,
your children,
your image and essence,
your beauty.
Lead us toward the integrity and harmony
you enjoy in heaven and earth,
that we may share your commonwealth,
grace-fully-empowered.
Amen.
- from "Coming Out to God: Prayers for Lesbians and Gay Men, Their Families and Friends" by Chris Glaser
That is a beautiful poem, Bernard. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks too, for sharing this, Bernard. Insightful...... ;). Have two good friends with whom we can share this. They once lent us the movie Cloudburst, I think it is called, because we were the only ones who would understand.
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