Radical honesty = to state your
feelings bluntly, directly and in a way typically considered impolite.
Honesty can be scary and for this truth, I am scared. However, it is my
personal belief that one should only be allowed to lead by living a
transparent, honest and authentic life.
Jonathan Merritt is a good man with
great intentions. Jonathan pushes for a society which seeks to
understand the “other.” He encourages conversation and relationship
building over arguments and division. I agree with his approach and I
know he is being genuine in this approach. I feel though what has led
Jonathan to this thoughtful and effective approach is his hope for a
future where people like me and him, gay people, are no longer excluded
but included in every aspect of society.
He rides the fence because of the
strong anti-gay stance his religious community continues to take. He is
brave by daring to push the envelope a bit but not enough to give
himself away.
Exposing this truth of Jonathan’s
sexual orientation is not an easy decision for me. I take no pleasure in
doing this. As I type this my stomach is turning because I know of the
backlash he will receive. I have thought about what all of this will
mean for him and for me. I base my reasoning in the importance of living
an authentic and honest life.
True change in the “culture wars” may
come through genuine fellowship and conversations but if there is not
complete honesty and transparency when we come to the table than we are
simply building a foundation which will soon deteriorate.
We must have radical honesty in the
character, intentions and identities of our leaders. I truly hope for
the day when leaders of the LGBT community and leaders from the
anti-LGBT community can come to the table with no secrets or agendas but
simply to know one another. As Howard Thurman said, “Contact without
genuine fellowship breeds hatred.”
May we begin that genuine fellowship with complete transparency of who we are so that our foundation is solid.
No comments:
Post a Comment