The Prayers of the Queer

Last updated on: June 14, 2016 at 4:38 pm by Guest Contributor

The Prayers of the Queer 2016-06-14T16:38:28-05:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

by Rev. Hannah Adair Bonner

On June 12, 2016, at 2am Sunday morning, Omar Mateen walked into Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida and started shooting. When he finished 50 people were dead and 53 injured. Here at R3, we are collecting some reflections of this horrific massacre. If you would like to share, please email us at rhetoricraceandreligion@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Twitter at @examinereligion and Facebook

As I see all these posts about prayers for Orlando, all I can keep thinking about is how many in the LGBTQ community have been praying for us for years. While we have made them feel unwelcome in our pews and barred them from our pulpits, they have been praying for us. When we showed we may not “deserve” their prayers by saying they did not deserve ours, they have been praying for us. When we showed ourselves unfit to parent by kicking our own children out of our homes as they came out, they have been praying for us. When a lifetime of our rejection and attacks took its toll on them physically, they prayed for us from their sick bed.

The scriptures say, “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective,” and I know this well, for I credit the prayers of the queer among the many that have kept me alive through this often dangerous year.

A few years ago, when my aunt lay dying herself, the youngest of my grandmother’s children to reach adulthood, and the first to leave it, I knew she was praying for me. Her prayer went so far as to take the form of action: her last act was to insist to her partner that her youngest niece, who had grown up being taught it was wrong to be a pastor because she was a woman, would be the only one to stand in the pulpit at her funeral.

Do not say you are praying for Orlando, unless you are willing to let God use you to be the answer to your own prayer. If you are not willing, know that somewhere out there, there is probably a Queer Christian praying for you.

Hannah Adair Bonner is the curator of The Shout: a spoken-word poetry focused artivism movement seeking to nurture a community of multi-ethnic, multi-generation, justice-seeking, solidarity-building people. She is ordained in the United Methodist Church. She graduated from Duke Divinity School and Furman University, but truly received her education from friends like you.

Donate to the Work of R3

Like the work we do at Rhetoric Race and Religion? Please consider helping us continue to do this work. All donations are tax-deductible through Gifts of Life Ministries/G’Life Outreach, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, and our fiscal sponsor. Any donation helps. Just click here to support our work.

Previous Post

June 12, 2016

Reflections on the #OrlandoShooting

Next Post

June 14, 2016 How Does One Title Tragedy?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Amy Steele Andre E. Johnson Book Reviews/Series Brian Foulks Call for Chapters Carol Howard Merritt Classes Conferences Contributors Crystal St.Marie Lewis Daniel White Hodge Earle Fisher Eulogy Fredrick Robinson Guest Contributions Henry McNeal Turner Institutes Interviews Joseph Boston Katherine Whitfield Kimberly Peeler-Ringer Lectures/Roundtables Natalie Bullock Brown R3 Book Series R3 Contributor Rashad Grove Readers Reflections Symposiums Teaching Traci Ellis Travis Harris Uncategorized Video

Select a Month June 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 October 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz