A Queer Pentecost
The Apostles Came Out of the Closet
Today is Pentecost. It is a day in the Christian calendar that celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the official start of the Christian Church. This Scripture passage describing this event is from Acts 2:1-21.
Being a queer person of faith (I’m bisexual), I have begun looking at Scripture through that lens as well. This is nothing new. We all bring our experiences when reading anything.
The apostles (the followers of Jesus) were altogether in one room, praying. This also included women. The Bible describes a mystical event they went through, where suddenly they were filled with the Holy Ghost. What followed was something extraordinary.
They came out of the closet.
It’s the best way for me to describe it. In my case, I was shoved out of the closet - I was outed. Afterward I became something new. I got comfortable being who I was. I became comfortable expressing my emotions more. I cried more. I laughed more. I was more human outside of the closet than I was trapped in it.
I see this happening with the Apostles. They came out of their closet and began to tell everyone what God had done for them in their lives. They were telling their Good News, their “Gospel.”
What was the reaction from the onlookers? They thought they were drunk or crazy, but many believed them.
What happened when I came out of the closet? I was called a heretic and a sinner. Both labels were wrong.
As a Queer person of Faith, I know that God has made me as I am, loves me for who I am. I am “queer-fully” and wonderfully made.
Perhaps I’m not your most flamboyant queer, but I’m here and I’m proud.