Reflecting the Path of Christ…. With Pride!!!

By Danny Morales

Sunday April 15^th, the city of Miami Beach clothed itself in Pride to celebrate its 4^th annual Gay Pride Fest.  As I walked along the parade route, I couldn’t help but noticing the sea of smiling faces, cheering, screaming, clapping and dancing.  It was a moment filled with pride and joy, with a sense of belonging, a sense of connection to something.  Then I thought of what I was representing as I walked.  The banner in my hand read “iLGBT.org … Embracing God’s Love for All” while the float ahead of me, belonging to Coral Gables Congregational UCC, promoted the need for marriage equality.  But for a moment, my sense of pride was quickly blurred as I thought about how joyful and proud can we actually be when we are still struggling locally, nationally and globally to be acknowledged as citizens of equal value to everyone else, deserving of the same rights, respect and admiration.  What in fact are we truly celebrating or proud of?I’ll tell you what I celebrated and was proud of: I had pride in celebrating the congregation of Riviera Presbyterian Church, which has opened its arms to me for the past eight years and has allowed me to serve and worship freely.  I celebrated the life of Rev. Laurie A. Kraus, who alongside the Covenant Network of Presbyterians has worked hard at ensuring that our church is a place where my fellow LGBT family can worship freely, and in my case, one day serve as minister of word and sacrament.  I celebrated the fact that our denomination, despite its recent struggles with openness and inclusivity and being more welcome to our LGBT community, is still working hard at finding a place where all voices can be heard, held and honored as the unified voice of all God’s children.Now I’m sure that church was the last thing on the minds of the thousands that gathered to celebrate this weekend, but I also know that for those who took a closer look at our banner, or for those who approached our booth, a seed was planted.  A seed was also planted in the minds of those who walked away with Rivierabags, or More Light Presbyterian rainbow wrist bands.  There still remains much work to be done within our community locally, nationally, abroad and yes even within our own denomination.   But I also know that our small yet persistent voice and presence will help make a difference in the lives of those seeking to find there place in God’s kingdom.Reflecting the Path of Christ…. With Pride!!!