Illusion

Today I had lunch with a gay friend. We got talking about the Australian rugby player Israel Folau who's been sacked by Australia Rugby.

I found Folau's social media comments about gays and transgender people deeply offensive. I agree with his sacking. If I behaved similarly in my work place I would expect the same outcome.

I have a Christian faith and I share none of Folau's fundalmentalist beliefs. They've left me deeply saddened and sickened but not surprised.

Much of the church has, in my opinion, a bizarre obsession with the bedrooms of the nation. But not so much obsession about poverty, inequity, racism, inequality, power, greed... Jesus didn't say anything about homosexuality. That tells me something.

Anyway, my friend and I talked about how he felt about Folau's comments and how it's been for him and his partner. How it feels to be condemned to hell by another person who thinks they have the right to play God.

We laughed and chatted about other stuff too. But it left me feeling sad. And it left me thinking about the mums and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, neices and nephews, cousins, and grandparents of gay people.

I wonder how they feel when a big time rugby player comes out with his hateful views about gays and transgender people going to hell? I can only imagine their pain.

Anyway, I can't change big stuff out there and I have no interest in reading articles defending Folau or debating it on social media. But I do have a choice about how I treat other people.

Today's gratitude: For the diverse range of friends and colleagues who enrich my life.