Jo Harris, Moderator of the United Reformed Church Youth Assembly, reflects on marginalised communities and the celebration of new life for Easter Sunday.
Easter Sunday traditionally is about new life and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. For those of you who might know me, I’m not traditional in the slightest.
When I think about Easter Sunday and what it means to me, I often think about us all having a new ‘rebirth’ if you will.
At the beginning of the year, we make our New Year’s resolutions. We create plans around what we want to achieve: some join the gym, others take up a new hobby.
During this time of Easter celebrations, we could be thinking about becoming who we are in our truest form.
Recently on social media I started following a transwoman who is currently going through their transition. It is such a beautiful thing to watch, the smiles on the faces of these wonderful people finally feeling comfortable in their own skin.
Within the Christian community conversations about gender nonconformity can be harmful. These conversations often target and marginalise by using Scripture as a tool to disavow Christian trans lives.
When we think about sharing God’s word and love during this celebration of new life, we could celebrate the people who are stepping into their new lives using affirmative theology to create a truly accepting environment so that every person coming through our church doors this Easter Sunday knows that they are truly loved and welcome.
If you are a member of the LGBT+ community or affected by the exclusion of trans people from the conversion therapy ban, a range of support helplines can be found via GALOP, the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity’s website here.