This is a guest post from Rev Org. Thank-you.
After a long Sunday I was readyto put my feet up and chill out in the company of Mrs O with some of thetelevision we’d missed in the week before. We enjoyed the comedy rantings ofCharlie Brooker, and then decided to put on that interesting-sounding programmeon Channel 4, about a priest in London who tells his congregation that he's gay:Father Ray Comes Out.
Of course, having read"London" in the description I thought it would be somebody who I nodoubt wouldn’t have come across before in London diocese. But a few secondsinto the programme I realised that the priest in question was somebody I knewfrom south of the river in my own diocese of Southwark, and suddenly it allbecame a lot more personal and emotionally involving.
I've spoken to Ray on several occasions as we were on the same course togetherfor two years, including four weekend residentials in the diocesan retreatcentre. I can't claim to know him really well, but he'd always struck me as a gentle,caring individual, very easy to talk to and share stuff with. And here he was,on the telly in my living room, preparing to come out to his congregation.
As the day of the sermon grewcloser things grew ever more tense, and I found myself holding Mrs O's handever tighter in fear of how Ray’s news would be received. It would be nice tothink that any congregation would be caring and supportive if any of theirnumber came out, but I know that's not always the case, particularly if thereare African members of the congregation (and Ray seemed to have quite a few).
An ex-engineer, I like to think of myself as a fairly robust, unsentimentalchap, but I was in tears by the time Ray actually said the words "I ama homosexual".
Then it came to the Peace, and his congregation embraced him, and whilst someof the church members the filmmakers spoke to were shocked and some confused,they all seemed willing not to let Ray's sexuality be a barrier to him beingtheir priest. It was a timely reminder, given recent events in Uganda, that notall people with African or Afro-Caribbean origins have a problem with homosexuality.
The combination of thecongregation’s acceptance and Ray’s bravery just knocked me out. Watching wasan amazing, humbling experience, and I encourage you to check it out foryourselves (though I've no idea for how long it’s available) at 4OD: HERE.
God bless you Fr Ray in all that you do, and may the day come quickly whennobody, clergy or lay, need fear being open about themselves in our churches.