Jesus once proclaimed, “The truth shall set you free,” (John 8:32). His statement is in a section of the Gospel of John inviting us to feel the way Jesus’ identity was contested by his contemporaries. People were struggling to trust what Jesus said about himself, and how his life and ministry was reframing religion as they had understood it. In the face of criticism Jesus spoke his truth. And he wooed others to do the same.
National Coming Out Day feels like a day set aside to honor speaking truth in the movement toward freedom. If you’ve lived for any length of time you’ve known the truth of Jesus’ words; truth does set us free.
If you’ve ever had to hide part of yourself…
If you’ve ever tried to trick yourself in believing that you were someone or something other then you are…
If you’ve ever been concerned for your wellbeing if “they” found out…
If you’ve ever constructed a façade to protect yourself…
…then you know the power of being set free by truth.
Today is National Coming Out Day. I’m so glad this is becoming an open conversation, and that there is growing cultural and institutional support for our siblings who have known their identity but for whatever reasons have needed to hold their truth to themselves for a time. Today is a day to celebrate with those who being set free. Let us also remember that for every coming out story we get to celebrate today that there is a person somewhere who maybe be feeling alone and afraid.
My prayers are especially with those who love to come out publicly but are in relational or cultural contexts in which such truth telling would put them at great risk. I pray you can find a measure of peace and strengthen in speaking truth to yourself until that great day went you know freedom. God be with you & bless you.
In his letter to the local church of Galatia the Apostle Paul once wrote, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. So stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery,” (Galatians 5:1). Paul writes this to a group of religious people were wrestling with hanging on to their old exclusionary practices or follow the Spirit into welcoming all people the way God in Christ welcomes all. Paul urged them to move toward freedom. And the early church did just that! They moved toward freedom for all.
Truth be told I don’t fully know what freedom looks like. But I know what captivity feels like. And I don’t want captivity for myself or anyone. I want to live in truth. As I understand the invitation of the Divine, it is to life. To live in the light. Live in truth.
With fear and trembling, quivering lips, and shaky voices we often risk speaking truth… so much courage! It is for freedom that Christ sets us free.
Peace, dwight
