THE EDITOR’S LETTER |
THE EDITOR’S LETTER |
GOT GOD?
I GOT GOD BECAUSE
GOD GOT ME A worthy question to ask same-gender loving people is how do they feel about GOD?
A
worthy question to ask same-gender loving people is how do they feel about GOD? Historically, marginalized people have often been denied access to a loving GOD. As unworthy peasants doomed for living the way we were born, we were given a GOD of merciless condemnation and hell. We know that “Church Hurt” is real. This type of treatment can affect the witness of GOD and cause one to turn their back and never return. I rebuke those teachings and beliefs and today offer you an option, or better yet proof, that you too can GET GOD! I have anxiously awaited the release of this September – October 2018 Spirituality Issue of TUV Magazine just to ask and provide a variety of answers. This issue is particularly personal to me because Spirituality and God have been among the most constant presences in my life. You see, I was raised in the South, aka the “Bible Belt”, by a family of religious fanatics. I say “fanatic” in a loving
06
sense because their reverence reflected their love for God in a manner that suited them. The oxymoron in this relationship would surface when their projection of God onto me fell miserably short in the lives they lived. It wasn’t until I was able to remove the GOD I was given through birthright, that I got to know GOD for myself. I know this may sound all too cliché but believe me, I’m speaking from the Book of Life! GOD is not a mystical deity that eludes us or is never present. GOD is omnipresent. Trust me. GOD gets you because GOD is you. Even in your faults, twirls, curls, and sexual identities, God got you! In order to carry out our vision, we intentionally sought interviews and solicited contributing writers to “Rah, Rah” our readers. I wanted to make a profound difference in someone’s life about the goodness of having a spiritual connection
with something higher than you. I wanted to offer reconciliation, hope, encouragement, and a lifeline to those who are still suffering. I’d like to think of this issue as a “Collector’s Edition” because I know without a doubt it will be well-received. Go ahead, get comfortable, and allow the story of our cover feature on Mr. Marvell L. Terry II to inspire you. Contributing writer Monika M. Pickett will take you vicariously on her spiritual journey. Dr. Davin D. Clemons, Editor of TUV Magazine, will ignite your inner advocate to fight against religious dogma and Brennan Villines will inspire you to fight for your life to live out your dreams. Go ahead, dive in, and connect with us if this issue helps you in any way! Connect with us at info@tuvmag.com and share your revelations! Your Sister in Truth!
Gwendolyn D. Clemons,
Editor-in-Chief of TUV Magazine
By Dr. Davin D. Clemons, DMin
M
y GOT GOD moment happened during fall of 2010, while sitting in the sanctuary at Love Fellowship Ministries Church. I felt that God had been speaking to me in a strange way. My spirit was uneasy, and my mind was baffled concerning the difficulties of God’s calling in the eyes of egotistical, misogynistic, narcissistic heterosexual black preachers in church. This uneasiness had emerged after a disheartening ordination/ministerial licensing process that had involved more discussion of my sexual orientation than of my calling within the ministry. I sought answers by praying and worshipping God in hopes that God would help unravel the mystery of how to proceed with this spiritual journey.
greatest blessing of my life. That experience led me to dig deeper into the Word, and eventually to learn that the scriptures we had been taught as God’s condemnation of homosexuals, especially the seven deadly scriptures most commonly used to condemn LGBT people, intended no such condemnation after all. The utilization of the scriptures used to condemn the LGBT community supposedly precluded me from participating in the church, and precluded me from Jesus’ salvation -- so the Church had claimed. But when we really study the scriptures, we realize that there’s a lot to discover, including the truth that God is not against anyone, and that God does not discriminate against people based on gender or sexuality.
This Got God moment is all too familiar to many black LGBT Christians who attempt to do ministry work inside of the black church. But this tragedy that I thought would kill me spiritually turned out to be the
This GOT GOD moment increased my faith, prayerfulness, determination, drive, and level of education. Basically, this moment in life forced me to JUMP into the river and swim for my life. I had never understood
why we suffer, but I realized that although suffering in itself is never good, God is able to use it for good in a number of ways. God loves us! Our suffering is also God’s suffering. God suffers alongside of us. Yet God does not always simply remove suffering from our lives; God sometimes uses the bad things that happen to bring about God’s good purposes. This GOT GOD tribulation helped lead us to ensure that individuals of all backgrounds have the opportunity to build healthy, productive, and inspiring lives, through the combined services offered by Cathedral of Praise Church of Memphis, Inc., Cathedral Foundation, and The Unleashed Voice brand, which are all devoted to continuing to improve lives within the LGBT community and for people of color in the Deep South, an area once viewed as “unchangeable.” Now, who GOT GOD!
07
