21. Jesus Appears to His Friends (Gay Passion of Christ series)

21. Jesus Appears to His Friends (from The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision) by Douglas Blanchard

“And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see.’” -- Luke 24:38-39 (RSV)

Jesus’ friends were hiding together, afraid of the authorities who killed their beloved leader. The doors were shut, but somehow Jesus got inside and stood among them. They couldn’t believe it! He urged them to touch him, and even invited them to inspect the wounds from his crucifixion. As they felt his warm skin, their doubts and fears turned into joy. Jesus liked touch. He often touched people in order to heal them, and he let people touch him. He defied taboos and allowed himself to be touched by women and people with diseases. He understood human sexuality, befriending prostitutes and other sexual outcasts. LGBT sometimes hide themselves in closets of shame, but Jesus wasn’t like that. He was pleased with own human body, even after it was wounded.

Jesus, can I really touch you?
___
Next: 22. Jesus Returns to God


This is part of a series based on “The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision,” a set of 24 paintings by Douglas Blanchard, with text by Kittredge Cherry. 

Click to go to the beginning
or view the whole series.

Scripture quotation is from Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

20. Jesus Appears at Emmaus (Gay Passion of Christ series)

20. Jesus Appears at Emmaus (from The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision) by Douglas Blanchard

“When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” -- Luke 24:30-31 (RSV)

A couple of Jesus’ friends met a stranger on the way to a village called Emmaus. While they were traveling together, they told the stranger about Jesus: the hopes he stirred in them, his horrific execution, and Mary's unbelievable story that he was still alive. Their hearts burned as the stranger reframed it for them, revealing how all things can work together for good. They convinced him to stay and have dinner with them in Emmaus. As the meal began, he blessed the bread and gave it to them. It was one of those moments when you suddenly recognize the presence of God. The stranger was Jesus! He had been with them all along. Sometimes even devout Christians are unable to see God’s image in people who are strangers to them, such as LGBT people or others who have been marginalized. Sometimes people are blind to their own sacred worth as incarnations of the divine. But at any moment, the grace of an unexpected encounter may open our eyes.

God, help me to recognize you.
___
Next: 21. Jesus Appears to His Friends

More resources:
A Broken Church, and the Return from Emmaus (Queering the Church Blog)

This is part of a series based on “The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision,” a set of 24 paintings by Douglas Blanchard, with text by Kittredge Cherry. 

Click to go to the beginning
or view the whole series.

Scripture quotation is from Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Invite your friends to visit our blog

Please invite your friends to visit this blog, sign up for our newsletter, and befriend us on Facebook. More people need to hear that God loves all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

We’re looking for new friends who are:

• Gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer or allies
• Spiritual
• Artists and art lovers
• Writers and book lovers

Invite a Friend Month begins today at the Jesus in Love Blog. So take action, right now!

*Share this blog with your friends using the share button.



* Suggest Facebook friends for Kittredge Cherry, who runs this blog. Here’s how: Find us on Facebook and use the “suggest friends for Kittredge” link on the lower left. 


*Invite your friends to our Newsletter Archive. They can see past newsletters and join our list for a free subscription.  If you don’t get our newsletter yet, please join our list now.


Please make a special effort to invite GLBT artists and writers with spiritual interests. Many of them get discouraged because there doesn’t seem to be a “market” for LGBT spiritual art. Our goal is to match these artists with the people who want to see their work

By supporting the Jesus in Love Blog, you also support the artists and writers who do LGBT spiritual work. More people here will mean more friends for you, too. We’ll have more comments, more news tips and build a stronger community

We’re expecting a breakthrough. For example, the Jesus in Love Newsletter has 494 subscribers. When we hit 500 subscribers, our annual fee will go up from $210 to $336 per year -- and we will pay the same amount until we reach 2,500 subscribers.

Thank you! We appreciate your friendship and your help in building an online community that supports LGBT spirituality and the arts. As the Bible says in 1 John 4:7, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”