The August 6, 2010 Edmonton Journal carried an article orginally published in the Vancouver Province about a New Westminster PCC teenager who was rebuked by her minister for posing for a newspaper photograph for the city\’s gay pride celebration. The teen and her parents left the church as a result. (The article points out that the minister apparently acted in contravention of the PCC\’s policies as articulated in our Social Action Handbook.)
One cannot be certain that the story accurately reflects what happened. However, as it is reported, the story breaks my heart.
Whether or not we understand or agree with the beliefs and actions of our young people, our pastoral responsibility is to listen and try to understand and to accompany them in their journey towards full adulthood – sharing about our journey as it is opportune to do so and praying for them. It is not our responsibility to tell them who they should be or what they should do.
This, it seems to me, is what Jesus did and encouraged his followers to do – especially in the parables. It involves faith that God is already working in the life of the other – accompanying them in the formation of their identity. That we often do not understand this is one of the reasons, it seems to me, that many teens and young and older adults are abandoning the church and continuing their journey of spiritual formation in other contexts.
