One Punk Under God

[Gabriel]

Anyone watch it?

What did you think?

[ravenscape]

Didn't see it. Look forward to reading about it though. :D

[Gabriel]

Nobody?

Some of the people I know had a bad reaction when I announced that I was going to attend Jay's church. Almost everyone remembers the PTL scandal and has some opinion on Jim and Tammy Faye. People have a difficult time understanding that Jay is not his father and might therefore have different beliefs and opinions.

I found the website (http://www.revolutionnyc.com) when I was googling for gay-friendly churches in the city. I was skeptical, but they actually were what they claimed to be, and I have been welcomed with open arms.

I had been going there regularly for a month or so when the documentary aired. I watched it and was pleasantly surprised. Sundance did not warp or twist Jay or his message in any way.

The documentary followed the course of what happened when Jay decided that, regardless of the cost, he needed to welcome and affirm all people, including GLBT people.

It turned into something of a disaster. They lost most of their funding. He lost a lot of his speaking engagements, and therefore, more money. People he loved and trusted had huge problems with his decisions.

There's one episode where he's speaking at a church and the second he starts talking about the gay issue, the mood in the room shifts palpably from receptive to hostile, and as he is explaining why he believes what he believes, and quoting MLKJR on, "We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends," he starts to cry and says that he couldn't be silent anymore.

That really broke my heart.

It also follows the declining health of his mother. That is hard to watch. She is doing very badly.

Also, his issues with his father, who does not particularly want to support his current ministry. I think things have gotten better for them, since, but I will admit to wanting to kick his father in the balls a few times.

And then his wife's decision to go to school at NYU, and uproot them and take them to New York. I am grateful for that. I wouldn't have met them otherwise.

The series is still rerunning on Sundance, or you can get it from iTunes in entirety for ten bucks. It was nominated for a GLAAD award.

I'm really glad it was made, and I'm glad the church exists. More people need to stand up for gay Christians, and I am thankful for Jay.

[chaoschristian]

He reads Henri Nouwen. I like him already.

My little town could use a Revolution.

[gomichan]

It sounds interesting. I'll have to get hold of it. I don't usually buy stuff from iTunes because I don't want to keep track of the authorization crap, but it might be worth dealing with for this.