Blazing Saddles

Last night was my second time at a gay bar.

I'm not really sure what to say. I could type up an in-depth case study of each of the people I met and the social constructs that come to life in this sub-culture of middle America. But I don't want to turn these people into lab rats. That's a big part of why I went, to stop the de-humanization. These are people.

More full reason of why I went: Last week the Iowa Supreme Court made some weird out of the blue ruling that gay marriage is now allowed in Iowa. Random, and I don't really agree with it. But what's worse: I was called from an unknown number on my cell and left a recorded message that there would be a protest on the steps of the capital building. The message was vague, but from the language I'd guess that the protest had a christian bend to it. I'm not even going to capitalize christian in this context.

How many protests did Jesus start? Well, a couple where HE was the object of the crowd's hate.

How many protests did Jesus diffuse? Well, a couple where he defended the women caught in adultery or the people's duty to pay taxes to Rome.

One of the striking titles given Jesus was "a friend of sinners." I can imagine it being said venomously, people sneering and hissing the "s" on sinners with all the derision they could muster. Today it more just sounds funny to say "friend of sinners." Although it was a spiteful loaded word in the conservative Jewish culture, we don't really hear it ring in our ears today. I would propose this new translation: Jesus, friend of homos.

And this brings us back to the purpose of going to Blazing Saddles: let some people know that they are not the scum of the earth, that they are not the worse skid mark ever streaked across the landscape, that they are people and that we, well, I, don't hate them.

Right, it is a sin. So is lust for the opposite sex. So is greed. So is gluttony. Why doesn't anyone picket Old Country Buffet?

Jesus's words remain the same. Go and sin no more. But if we are going to see this life, this history as a war and a great struggle for the hearts and minds of all people to win them back to the One True Lord of Heaven and Earth who rules them all by His Word, we need to be careful to NOT shoot the HOSTAGES. Shoot the real enemy.

So my brave scared friends and I played a game of pool with two guys who frequent the bar. They work in downtown Des Moines. Both probably around 30. They enjoy their careers. They were going back to small town western Iowa for the Easter holiday, to see one of the guy's father and then his mother. And they were kind of nervous, because although the parents know everything that's going on in their son's life, the mother has still yet to meet her son's significant other. Stressful and meaningful for any couple.

I'll be praying for them. One of the guys gave me his email, hopefully we'll be able to talk some more about his thoughts on spiritual things. He knew a lot of Bible verses. He also knew a lot of Hindu and Rastafarian philosophy. He was perplexed that he doesn't see Christians doing "greater things than these" like Jesus said in John 14:12. When asked what he, personally, thought of Jesus, he replied:

"I would love to sit down and have a cup of tea with the guy. Jesus is fascinating."