Light on Justice: How Trinity became part of my journey

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

It was after the re-election of George Bush in 2004 that I began to look for a church. I was furious with the Christian Right rhetoric and with the idea that Republicans somehow felt they had a corner on righteousness and justice. The fact they had used Christian “morals” and “values” to activate a voting base reflected a shortcoming of both mine and of the left. It was not enough to criticize. I wanted to act with other Christians motivated by the same theology. I subscribed to Sojourners, a progressive Christian publication and started hunting the website of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America the denomination in which I was raised, to look for congregations in the New York.

On the blog I was keeping at the time, I wrote:

“All we have been hearing about is the Christian Right, but next time I want to hear the pundits talk about the Christian Left. Thus, I am going to start going to a church. This idea that a particular subsegment of Christianity has a monopoly of moral values and political engagement makes me crazy. Obviously on the left side of the fence there is no corollary to the Christian right, but I think I can't complain about the absence of religious activism for social justice when I am not supporting and engaging in some faith community. One reason I didn't really go to church was that I wasn't too keen on the contradictions inherent in being active in a church and public about homosexuality. When I think about that now, I really have to admit to myself that this is something of a rationalization. New York is brimming with leftie, progressive, and open-minded congregations who would love to have nice bisexual lady. I think the truth is that I never pursued a congregation or a spiritual home because I really simply never felt compelled to make it a priority. But now I do. Plus, I am going to be praying more, during these next four years. So the search for a congregation is on.”

During this search, I found my way to Trinity Lutheran. I attended, describing it this way.

“I went to another church on Sunday and I was encouraged and moved by the service and the mission of the congregation. It's a Lutheran church on the Upper West Side, situated in one of those odd New York junctures between what must certainly be high priced housing on one side of the street and housing projects on the other. The congregation advertises on its website that it welcomes all people, including gay, lesbians and bisexuals and in the past couple years has called a minister who is leading the congregation in what appears to be a very explicit mission of community outreach and social change.”

Since I began attending and joined, Trinity has celebrated with me both my departure for and return from Peace Corps Service in Ecuador. Friends in that congregation sympathized with me when I was overwhelmed with a demanding job. Through prayers and hymns, we honored the election of a new president who promised change. The community helped me mark the passing of my mother. All of these things have made it a spiritual home for me. Since I began attending, Trinity has undertaken a wonderful ministry, giving shelter to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people, who would otherwise be on the street. They sustain a vibrant ministry to Spanish speaking community members living in the Upper West Side, something for which I have a great appreciation after living in Latin America, and hearing of the impact of immigration on individuals and families all over the hemisphere. I am proud to be part of a community that lives the Christian values I was taught. By supporting their work, I help in their ministry. Acting on my own, I would be unable to accomplish any of it.

-Claudia C.