Only 12 hours ago, myself and a few friends were fortunate to obtain a few tickets to the documentary War/Dance, one of two films pre-bought (ThinkFilm) prior to its arrival at Sundance. Roughly an hour ago, we concluded the viewing of the feature film Save Me, the story of a young man’s journey through the 12 step program of a Christian “ex-gay” ministry. (Yes, a program that “removes” one’s gayness). Rather than review the films themselves, I would like to make a few observations surrounding these films and what I am suddenly discovering as the mysterious “spirit of Sundance.”
Two words come to mind: Story and Conversation. Although movies are often deemed definitively as “entertainment”, it has been far from a conclusive experience once the credits have rolled. The stories presented in War/Dance – of Northern Uganda children escaping from the terror of senseless killings and abductions via the art of music and dance – are both inspiring and incomprehensible. As my own story was placed in stark contrast to these realities, I was left grasping for the same life, freedom, and joy that these children embody. These are profoundly different stories midst profoundly similar pursuits.
This morning, after watching Save Me , a Q & A session ensued with the cast, director, and producers. Because the subject matter of homosexuality and the Christian faith are often catalysts to heated debates and “right” and “wrong” language, this morning’s experience was all the more intriguing. It was at the film’s conclusion that I found myself, a professed “Christian”, surrounded by the tears from numerous individuals, both gay and straight—completely distraught by what I had just experienced. I could not help but be embarrassed of my faith and its “typical” response to the gay community.
However, as actor Chad Allen and actress Judith Light shared, I was taken aback by the non-threatening posture of the cast and crew (and the film for that matter). Nobody was enraged. Nobody was protesting. And nobody was blaming. Light commented on her own transformation within the role—having to “stop judging [Evangelicals].” Producer Herb Hamsher claimed the film as a “conversation”—one that differs from the typical dialogue that stays inside one’s own community with the wool pulled over the eyes. Hamsher expounded by stating, “We want to open the conversation and speak over the wool.” This was a profound gesture on behalf of the filmmakers, who had clearly succeeded in creating a diffused space of interaction, grace, and reconciliation—an environment that the Christian community often fall short in creating.
It was here that I realized the beauty of Sundance. Sure, it’s a “festival” of independent film. But, it seems to be more much more than this. If the first 24 hours are remotely telling —the celebration of both story and conversation are front and center. The conversation goes far beyond the theater. Whether on the bus with an actress from London, art students from inner city L.A., or the volunteer from Arizona, there is no doubt this nature is embraced by the broader Sundance audience, the question is – will the Christian community follow suit? I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m throwing my hat in the ring.
- Bob Davidson
Bob Davidson, Fuller Theology Student and Sundance participant. To contact: bob @ mypopculture [dot] com
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It's hard to predict how a group as vast as the Christian community will continue to respond to the topic of homosexuality and to homosexuals themselves. The Christian community ranges from people who are hateful and ungodly in their hostility toward homosexuals to those who welcome gay clergy. I have seen homosexuality become more and more a real-life issue within the lives of my friends, and going by that I think the topic and how to engage in conversation lovingly, while also knowing and not compromising the Bible is going to be something we have to learn how to discuss better.
Ex-gays are beautiful. They need more support in their struggles to change. I'm an exgay as i've been for 5 years now. Its amazing for those of us who do experience change. My whole life has changed. I don't understand why more people are not accepting of us.
I'm not one of those Exodus religious people. I believe in reparative or reorientation therapy.
Best wishes.
I am a Gay graduate student from Webster University in the Orlando area of Florida. I am in the process of completing a degree in mental health counseling. It is my personal and professional position, that homosexuality is not a pathological condition and does not merit consideration for change. After years of reading about this topic for personal interests and professional growth, it is my understanding that a person's sexual orientation(heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual) is an innate (or more biologically determined) human quality. What you learn to do with these qualities is up to each person. The book Biological Exuberance has many, many examples of homosexual courting and relationships in nature. Saint Thomas Aquinas once said that "a mistake about creation results in a mistake about God." Food for thought. If a person's sexual orientation is a matter of Creation it bears some careful consideration of Biblical passages that have been categorically understood to condemn homosexuality. If sexual orientation is in the province of Creation it is not our place to exact a spirit of condemnation upon this expression of human sexuality.
In all fairness, I believe that a dialogue needs to continue developing between sharp-edged Christians and sexual minorities about their place in the Church and religious community. Even though I define myself in Christian terms many elements of Native American spirituality appeal to me. As a Gay man, traditional Native spirituality views Two-Spirited men and women (homosexuals) as a part of Creation. Generally, Two-Spirited people have had a respected place and purpose in their traditional communities. In reference to homosexuality, the late elder John (Fire)Lame Deer (a Sioux medicine man) once said that "If nature puts a burden on you by being different, it also gives you a power." To many Native people, seeing with the heart is one of the most sacred visions of all. To them, seeing with the heart is akin to our other more physical senses: hearing, taste, touch, and sense of smell. Seeing with the heart is a way of knowing the beauty of our world. From this point of view, it is important to find a way to live that honors the many gifts that define us as a human being.
As one last consideration, the Lakota Sioux have an expression that defines their relationship to God and God's creation: Mitakuye Oyasin. This expression means "We are all related." In their spiritual worldview, we each have a spark of the divine (God) in all of us because God is present in all things. When one person disrespects another person they are disrespecting the Maker of us all. To shift into my Christian side of thinking, many sharp-edged Christians need to find the grace of a Higher Power to build bridges into the world of their Gay family members, neighbors, and members of the wider community. The God that I know created a world with many, many bridges. It is the failings (not grace) of the human race that has built walls. Walls are built and sustained by our ignorance, fear, hatred, and indifference. In opening a dialogue with homosexuals we need to call on the grace of our so-called "better angels." Many positive outcomes come from the experience of living as a Gay person, in a predominately non-Gay world. For more information on these "positive outcomes," read my small book of affirmations (entitle A Gathering of Light: Affirmations to Warm the Soul of Gay Families and Communities in Less Certain Times) from Red Lead Press or Amazon.com
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