Pride Month: A Celebration of Love and the Beauty of Jesus' Teachings
Understanding Pride: Differentiating Between Ego and Authenticity
I will never forget the Pride where I experienced the most profound and tangible sense of God's love. My dad, the most Christian man you’ll ever meet, is the other human in the story. He’s one of the faithful few who really do have a quiet time every-single-day and has for the last 50 years. He does things like give to support the church and missions. I had waited the longest to tell him I was gay, fearing his total and complete rejection of me. Except, that’s not what happend. He looked at me and let me know he knew, and trusted my heart for God, and that he loved me. It was shocking and totally glorious!
I didn’t think it could get any better until Pride came around, and he asked if I wanted to run the Pride 5k with him. Even though I had never jogged more than a few blocks at a time, I figured I was young and could easily jog 3.1 miles without having trained at all. Yeah, so, I was totally wrong about that and ended up being the literal last person who made it across the finish line. But that’s not the point of the story. The moment I remember the most was when my dad (Mr Missionary) and I went to ride the shuttle to the front of the race, and someone handed him a bright pink boa. He threw it around his neck and, with total joy, said, “You can call me Cassandra! It’s my drag name”!
I didn’t even know that my dad knew what drag was! Maybe he could tell I was a little tense. I was worried Pride would be too much for my Christian dad, and he took 2 sentences to put me at ease. That level of joining is exactly what we see from Jesus over and over again in the Bible. These kinds of moments are what has me continuing to believe in God, when God’s love shows up in the exact place you least expect it. It was my dads love for me, but it was also God’s love, singing and celebrating with me.
I imagine it’s experiences like these that help me now, all these years later feel pride in myself. I’m proud to be a lesbian and also think God is proud of me for the way I live out my faith and orientation. I recently had a conversation with a Christian who was skeptical about Pride and LGBTQ+ pride in general and it got me thinking. In June of 1999, US President Bill Clinton declared the anniversary of the Stonewall riots every June in America as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and in 2011, President Obama expanded it to officially include the whole of the LGBT community. It’s problematic and completely wrong that it took 12 years to include the rest of our queer siblings, but that’s a blog for another time 🙂 Back to the conversation I had with the skeptic. He seemed intent on cornering me with what he believed was an unanswerable question. With a smirk he asked, “What about pride? The Bible says not to be proud. God hates pride. Isn't that proof that LGBTQ pride and Pride Month are sinful?” It is fascinating to consider that, despite the warnings against pride- like “pride comes before the fall” - one of the things children, even as adults, most long to hear from their parents is, “I’m proud of you.” It’s natural and psychologically healthy for a parent to feel and express pride in their children and for their children to bask in the glory of it. And often when Christians imagine the after-life they think of Mathews' words in Matthew 25:23 and long to hear God say, “well done good and faithful servant.” I’d say that sounds a lot like they want to hear God say, “I’m proud of you”. If this is the case, then why are so many people of faith against Pride month, even going as far as boycotting places like Target stores when they carry Pride clothing? As a lesbian and person of faith it’s a question I’m pondering this Pride month.
What I told this particular questioning Christian was that there’s a difference between pride and arrogance and when the Bible talks about pride it isn’t referring to all pride,it’s talking about a pride that’s harmful. We call that arrogance and ego. We’ve all encountered that person whose overbearing self-importance not only alienates others but ultimately undermines their own potential for connection. It’s probably not surprising that the Bible doesn’t embrace the expression of arrogance and looks more favorable on the humble.
It’s important to point out that our experience of pride as an LGBTQ+ person and fun had during Pride month isn’t a part of what the Bible warns against. Does harmful pride occur during Pride celebrations? Yes, of course it does because we’re all human, but that doesn’t get to define the entirety of the celebration. I think what happens is a simple and surfaced reading of the Bible occurs and it does clearly use the word “pride” and warns against its harmful ways. However, it’s important to understand what the Bible means when it’s talking about pride. It is not talking about the joy and freedom that comes with pride as a queer person experiences the life giving celebration had during Pride month.
It’s important to recognize that the concept of "pride" can be understood in different contexts. The Bible warns against a kind of pride that is rooted in ego and self-centeredness—an attitude that elevates oneself above others and distances us from God. However, the pride celebrated during Pride Month is fundamentally different. It’s a reflection of authenticity, self-acceptance, and the beauty of being true to oneself which deeply resonates with the teachings of Jesus about love, compassion, and inclusion.
Pride Month as an Expression of Jesus' Love
Even non-believers would agree, Jesus' teachings are centered on love, acceptance, and compassion. The new testament is filled with stories of Jesus consistently reaching out to those who were marginalized, offering them dignity and respect. Pride Month echoes this divine love by affirming the worth and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals. It’s a time when we can celebrate the diversity of God’s creation and recognize that every person is made in God’s image. Pride has never been about elevating LGBTQ+ people above others. It’s about a lot of things but I think about it as taking time to celebrate our lives because many of us didn’t make it, or barely made it and making it through hell and back deserves a celebration.
I believe that if Jesus were alive during a Pride celebration he would join in! He’d be able to spot us miles away, not because of all the rainbow’s, although they are fabulous, but because he had a knack for quickly identifying those who have wounds created by other humans and joining them. I can imagine him throwing on a pair of rollerskates, a brightly colored boa (just like my dad) around his neck and rolling through the parade route offering hugs and encouraging words to all.
Celebrating God's Creation: Embracing Diversity
I love the Genesis account of creation because it’s one of the most clear expressions of God's value and commitment to diversity. When we celebrate Pride Month, we are celebrating the unique and beautiful ways God has created each of us. It’s an acknowledgment that we are wonderfully made. This celebration is about embracing the diversity that reflects the vastness of God’s love. This might sound silly but it’s kind of like a birthday. You don’t go to someone's birthday and say, well aren’t you selfish for wanting a whole day to celebrate you! You also don’t assume that to celebrate your friend means everyone else is devalued. No, you take special time apart from your normal life to acknowledge the wonderful and unique gift that person is to the world. And especially if that person has gone through a lot of pain, there’s extra celebration in them having made it through such trying times. The month is our queer birthday where we get to take time outside of our normal lives and recognize the beauty of our diversity and acknowledge all that we’ve been through and to find encouragement and community in our coming together.
Jesus’ Inclusive Love: A Model for Pride Month
Take a moment and think about the many instances in the Bible where Jesus demonstrated inclusive love. He dined with tax collectors, hung with those who had leprosy (aids), healed the sick, and spoke with the Samaritan (trans woman) woman at the well—actions that were counter-cultural and radical for His time. Jesus’ ministry was marked by a radical inclusivity that broke down societal barriers and affirmed the humanity of all people.
Pride Month embodies this inclusive spirit and I say it’s time for the Christian community to follow Jesus’ example by standing in solidarity with those who have been marginalized and offering unwavering support and affirmation. I also want to acknowledge that many of you have already done this. You march in the Pride parade, hold signs of support and offer hugs. Every time you show up it matters so much! If you disagree with this I’d like you to ask yourself, what if you’re wrong? What would you do differently if you found out that it honors God to support the LGBTQ+ community? And is this a topic you want to be wrong about?
Pride Month and the Christian Call to Love One Another
John 13:34-35 records Jesus’ commandment to “love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Pride Month is an opportunity for Christians to live out this commandment. It’s a chance to show unconditional love and to affirm the dignity and worth of LGBTQ+ individuals.