Guilt by Association

When I was little, my grandmother had a song she would sing to me when I was feeling sorry for myself.

Nobody loves me.
Everybody hates me.
I’m going to eat some worms!

It was her gentle way to make me laugh and encourage me to get over myself.

I’m singing that song to myself lately. You see, everybody does seem to hate me these days.

My secular friends are blaming Christians for the loss of the election—and they often seem to forget that I claim a Christian affiliation. It hurts to have them lump me in with the gay-hating, women-oppressing, evolution-denying fundamentalists they decry. Apparently, my Christian “witness” (I really hate that term, but it will have to do…) is not enough to counter the flood of evangelicalism they hear spilling out of their televisions and radios. I am guilty because I am Christian. I understand that, but it doesn’t make it any easier to bear.

On the other hand, evangelical/fundamentalist Christians think I am an apostate, and possibly more dangerous than those atheists they believe are trying to take over the country. You see, I give aid and comfort to the “enemy” by demanding that we live up to Jesus’ injunctions to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and “Love one another as your Father in Heaven has loved you.” They believe that I am a false Christian, spreading false doctrine--guilty because I believe that God loves gays and lesbians too. And, boy, are they happy that I got my comeuppance last week. Their gloating is hard to bear too.

Episcopalians are familiar with the term via media—“the middle way.” I guess that is what I’m walking these days. Trying to be true to my faith, even though it puts me in conflict with everyone.

Wonder if hot fudge would make those worms taste any better?