Queer Theology

In today’s episode, we answer a listener question from Tumblr asking for book recommendations for their mom to read. While we share some really good books that we think are going to help anyone who wants to learn more about queerness, we also want you to check first if that’s something your parent wants. We then queer the text from Judges which celebrates people who defy gender norms. We read about Deborah who was the leader of Israel at that time. Why is that important to note? Remember that women were considered inferior and were not to hold any high positions, but in this text, the leader was Deborah — a woman. Key takeaways: Election week update [0:44] The super-secret project will be out on November 17 [8:10] A listener asked for a recommendation on queer books for their mom to read [13:34] Is your mom asking for a book? [15:05] Our recommendations [15:22] Queering the Bible: Judges 4:1-7 [20:46] People who defy gender norms [22:24]  Importance of gender expansiveness in scriptures [24:10] Books mentioned in this episode: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth Queer Virtue by Rev. Liz Edmond Radical Love by Patrick Cheng Chicken by Chase Night Autoboyography by Christina Lauren Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera Links and group mentioned: Queers The Word – Free sample PFLAG Self care If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Judges 4:1-7 After Ehud had died, the Israelites again did things that the Lord saw as evil. So the Lord gave them over to King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, and he was stationed in Harosheth-ha-goiim. The Israelites cried out to the Lord because Sisera had nine hundred iron chariots and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly for twenty years. Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was a leader of Israel at that time. She would sit under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the Ephraim highlands, and the Israelites would come to her to settle disputes. She sent word to Barak, Abinoam’s son, from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, Israel’s God, issued you a command? ‘Go and assemble at Mount Tabor, taking ten thousand men from the people of Naphtali and Zebulun with you. I’ll lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, to assemble with his chariots and troops against you at the Kishon River, and then I’ll help you overpower him.’” Photo by Paul Hanaoka The post Gender Expansive Leadership – Judges 4:1-7 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Today we answer a listener question from someone who has recently reconnected with her faith. While she is building this renewed relationship with the divine, she worries about her partner who has negative attitudes towards religion. She asks, “What is the best way to encourage your partner to reconsider their stance on their faith especially when they, like so many of us, have been very hurt by religion? Or is it better to just let it be?” We also queer a text from a book that we haven’t covered before in the many years that we’ve been doing this podcast. In this episode, we queer Wisdom of Solomon, and Fr. Shay gives a short explanation of what this book is all about, especially to our non-Roman Catholic listeners. And of course, we explain how this passage relates to the queer community and the work that we’ve been doing.  Key takeaways: Brian and baking (again) [0:46] Fr. Shay: office revamping and journal categorizing [2:22] Listener question: on reconnecting faith and supporting a partner who has negative associations with religion  [5:01] Faith or being in a relationship with someone religious [7:04] Own your feelings [8:59] Your partner’s faith life is their responsibility [10:08] Queering the Bible: Wisdom of Sol 6:12-20 [13:35] Relating this passage and the Transfigured course [16:12] The activeness of this wisdom [16:39] What exactly is the work that we do in QueerTheology? [17:36] Wisdom personified [18:22] If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Wisdom of Sol 6:12-20 Wisdom is bright and unfading. She readily appears to those who love her. She’s found by those who keep seeking after her. She makes herself known even in advance to those who desire her with all their hearts. Someone who awakens before dawn to look for her will find her already sitting at the door. Taking wisdom to heart is the way to bring your thinking to maturity. The one who can’t sleep at night because he’s consumed with thinking about her will soon be free from worry. She herself goes about looking for those who are worthy of her. She graciously makes herself known to them as they travel. She comes to them in each of the ideas that they think. The real beginning of wisdom is to desire instruction with all your heart. Love for instruction expresses itself in careful reflection. If you love Wisdom, you will keep her laws. If you are attentive to her laws, you can be assured that you will live forever. If you live forever, you will be near to God. If you desire wisdom with all your heart, you will know what good leadership is. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez The post Wisdom Is She – Wisdom of Sol 6:12-20 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In today’s episode, we answer a question sent through our email. This listener works in a homeless shelter where she finds some of the people she works with and serves are anti-queer. She wants to know how to be kind and warm to the oppressed and suffering when others are hateful and dismissive comments of queer folks. “As a queer person, that can be difficult to swallow. How do I respond to these things in a way that is constructive and kind?”  If you’re a regular listener, you’ll notice that we don’t look at Revelation often but today is an exemption. Tune in to find out how Fr. Shay changed Brian’s mind about featuring this passage and how we queer this text from Revelation. This wild and wacky from the last book of the Christian Bible has a surprising amount of relevance for the LGBTQ community today. Key takeaways: Fr. Shay: first snowfall in MN [0:53] Brian: winter, time in NY, and going back home [2:27] Email question: on being kind to those who are unkind to queer folks [5:36] Take our answers to this question with a grain of salt [6:27] Avoid generalizing; see people individually [8:10] Protecting yourself while still meeting people with grace [10:34] Be curious about the concern underneath the anti-queer beliefs [12:20] Queering the Bible: Revelation 7:9-17 [15:25] Tuning fork and our work [18:09] Revelation is a difficult book [19:22] This is not a futuristic passage [20:23] The queer elders [21:15] We are connected to the struggles that came before us [22:17] If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com    Revelation 7:9-17 After this I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could number. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. They cried out with a loud voice:           “Victory belongs to our God           who sits on the throne,           and to the Lamb.” All the angels stood in a circle around the throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God, saying,           “Amen! Blessing and glory           and wisdom and thanksgiving           and honor and power and might           be to our God forever and always. Amen.” Then one of the elders said to me, “Who are these people wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” Then he said to me, “These people have come out of great hardship. They have washed their robes and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. This is the reason they are before God’s throne. They worship him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them. They won’t hunger or thirst anymore. No sun or scorching heat will beat down on them, because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Photo by Fa Barboza  The post Tuning Fork – Revelation 7:9-17 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Today we respond to a reader question: what’s the real deal with sexual ethics? They think that God is obsessed with virginity and that a woman (who slept with someone) is usually compared to a chewed up gum, a plucked rose, and so on. “Does God care that much about premarital sex when dating as it is?” We then queer the text from Leviticus that shows a God who is filled with kindness and justice. Who calls on us to be just and good to other people, and to not hold grudges or take revenge. Key takeaways: Fall update from Fr. Shay: playwriting fellowship [0:50] Brian’s renewed creative practice [2:32] Reader question from Tumblr: on God’s obsession with virginity [5:25] How girls/women are given the responsibility to protect their “pureness” [6:55] Indeed, some parts of the Bible are obsessed with virginity [9:22] Sexual ethics can be different from sexual practices [11:37] Queering the Bible: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 [13:11] How this passage shows a God of goodness and kindness [14:30] What’s going on in Leviticus? [16:59]   Links mentioned: What Promiscuity Taught Me about God’s Love queertheology.com/sex Homosexuality In The Bible: Leviticus   If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com    Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 The Lord said to Moses, Say to the whole community of the Israelites: You must be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy. You must not act unjustly in a legal case. Do not show favoritism to the poor or deference to the great; you must judge your fellow Israelites fairly. Do not go around slandering your people. Do not stand by while your neighbor’s blood is shed; I am the Lord. You must not hate your fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your fellow Israelite strongly, so you don’t become responsible for his sin. You must not take revenge nor hold a grudge against any of your people; instead, you must love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. Photo by Diana Vargas The post Leviticus’ God – Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In today’s episode, we answer a question from a listener about Hillsong worship songs. Now if you’ve been listening to us for some time, you might remember Brian saying that their lyrics are violent, abusive, and pretty terrible. The listener goes on to ask if it’s a “general feature of this branch of Christianity/evangelicalism?” Tune in to hear our answer. We also queer the text from Matthew that talks about the Pharisees and how they planned on trapping Jesus with his words. They failed miserably at it. We share in this episode how disingenuous the Pharisees were with their question. How their ultimate goal was to use Jesus’ words against him. We also share how this passage relates to LGBTQ Christians (of course!)   Key takeaways: Life and fall updates from Brian and Fr. Shay [0:40] Listener question from Tumblr: on Hillsong’s music with violent and abusive lyrics [6:13] Brian’s super short answer… [6:48] A small caveat [8:22] What this worship music reminds us [9:44] If a regular human father does what we think God does, what would we think? [10:50] 3 problems in these worship songs [12:17] Queering the Bible: Matthew 22:15-22 [14:39] On trapping Jesus with his words [15:51] Jesus is not a dummy [16:51] How this passage is used to justify paying taxes and government propaganda [18:14] Relevance to the queer Christians [19:09] Links mentioned: Atonement webinar: queertheology.com/whydidjesusdie Name That Tune: Christian Music Edition LGBTQ Christian Worship Music: The Many Are Here Jess Grace Garcia posts originals and reimagined covers on her Instagram stores – https://www.instagram.com/jessgracegarcia/ Grace Semler Balbridge describes her music as “creepy queer folk.” She has a Christian background  and posts queer Christian music TikToks: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebaldridges If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Matthew 22:15-22 Then the Pharisees met together to find a way to trap Jesus in his words. They sent their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are genuine and that you teach God’s way as it really is. We know that you are not swayed by people’s opinions, because you don’t show favoritism. So tell us what you think: Does the Law allow people to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Knowing their evil motives, Jesus replied, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used to pay the tax.” And they brought him a denarion. “Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked. “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” When they heard this they were astonished, and they departed. Photo by Masaaki Komori  The post It’s a Trap! – Matthew 22:15-22 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Happy National Coming Out Day! For those who haven’t come out yet, still deciding or about to, we will pray for you and we are with you in spirit. In keeping with National Coming Out Day our listener question from Tumblr is all about just that — coming out. This person is asking for any advice on coming out to a possibly unaffirming family.  We then queer the text from Philippians that we are pretty sure you’ve seen all over inspirational images, home decors, and coffee mugs. So you might wonder, how do we queer this? Tune in to find out and it might even be surprised. Key takeaways: National Coming Out Day stories from Fr. Shay and Brian [0:40] The LGBT community problems [5:15] Learn about OUR history [6:57] Question from Tumblr: on coming out [9:13] How Brian’s parents’ reacted to his coming out [10:22] You don’t owe ANYONE [11:48] The importance of choosing people who you can trust [12:40] The mindset of deciding when you’re ready [16:17] Queering the Bible: Philippians 4:1-9 [18:26] There is something calming about this passage especially during this time [20:49] Let’s sit in this passage without queering it [21:35] Find moments to bask in the greatness of people you choose to surround yourself with [23:08] Helpful Resources: Resources on coming out 3-part video series on self-care around unaffirming family If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Philippians 4:1-9 Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord. Loved ones, I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to come to an agreement in the Lord. Yes, and I’m also asking you, loyal friend, to help these women who have struggled together with me in the ministry of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the scroll of life. Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.THe  From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you. Photo by Sharon McCutcheon The post Coming Out Day: A Comforting Word – Philippians 4:1-9 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Today we answer a listener question about the pushback around the use of the word “queer” and how their pastors felt uncomfortable and strongly preferred LGBTQIA+ instead. “Yet, some sources are saying that it is exclusively for those questioning, gender fluid, or not adopting of a specific label.“ Tune in to hear our answer and let us know if you’ve experienced this pushback yourself. We also queer a text from Philippians which holds a very important message of our frailty as humans to intellectualize the way we connect with the divine. That we expect a certain connection to God because we believe that we are righteous and that we’ve done our “work”. This message underlines the importance of knowing what connection and relationship we are really looking at with the divine.  Key takeaways: Fr. Shay’s birthday is coming up and he shares his angst on getting older [0:42] Brian’s excitement over a secret project [4:46] Listener question: using the word “queer” at church [6:16] How Queer Theology website and podcast receive pushback on the word “queer” [7:37] What does the word “queer” really mean [8:25] The irony of the cross [12:47] The work is to sit in the discomfort [14:52] Queering the Bible: Philippians 3:4b-14 [17:52] What Brian loves about this passage [19:48] What won’t save you [21:11] Safety vs. being saved [22:03] Don’t intellectualize your way into a connection with God [24:30]  Figure out who God and Jesus is to you [25:30] The concept of oppression holds true across all forms of Christianity [26:02] If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Philippians 3:4b-14 Though I have good reason to have this kind of confidence. If anyone else has reason to put their confidence in physical advantages, I have even more: I was circumcised on the eighth day. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews. With respect to observing the Law, I’m a Pharisee. With respect to devotion to the faith, I harassed the church. With respect to righteousness under the Law, I’m blameless. These things were my assets, but I wrote them off as a loss for the sake of Christ. But even beyond that, I consider everything a loss in comparison with the superior value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for him, but what I lost I think of as sewer trash, so that I might gain Christ and be found in him. In Christ I have a righteousness that is not my own and that does not come from the Law but rather from the faithfulness of Christ. It is the righteousness of God that is based on faith. The righteousness that I have comes from knowing Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the participation in his sufferings. It includes being conformed to his death so that I may perhaps reach the goal of the resurrection of the dead. It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. Photo by Vaishakh pillai The post Safety vs. Being Saved – Philippians 3:4-14 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In today’s episode, we answer a question from one of our listeners, “Why do LGBTQ individuals need to be the light?” While it’s an honor to be viewed as such, our answer might surprise you — or not, so tune in for that.  We also queer the text from Exodus which is relatable not only at a macro level but also on a personal level. This text clearly illuminates the frailty and weakness of humans especially around the concepts of being patient and desiring comfort all the time.  Key takeaways: Brian’s life update: depression, therapy and living today to the fullest [0:39] Fr. Shay’s playwright retreat [3:32] Listener question [6:30] Putting our salvation on other people is harmful [7:49] Straight, cisgender folks’ comfort gets prioritized over queer folks [9:39] More about Transfigured: A Course in Trans Theology [13:32] Queering the Bible: Exodus 17:1-7 [16:19] The weakness of humans to easily question God once something bad happens [17:34] How quickly we dismiss something if we don’t get instantaneous results [18:15] The path to healing is sometimes uncomfortable at first [20:56] Link(s) mentioned in this episode: Transfigured: A Course in Trans Theology: queertheology.com/enroll If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Exodus 17:1-7 The whole Israelite community broke camp and set out from the Sin desert to continue their journey, as the Lord commanded. They set up their camp at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people argued with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing the Lord?” But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they complained to Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with this people? They are getting ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of Israel’s elders with you. Take in your hand the shepherd’s rod that you used to strike the Nile River, and go. I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Hit the rock. Water will come out of it, and the people will be able to drink.” Moses did so while Israel’s elders watched. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites argued with and tested the Lord, asking, “Is the Lord really with us or not?” Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor The post The Uncomfortable Path to Healing – Exodus 17:1-7 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Happy Bisexuality Day!!!  So to celebrate that, let’s start today’s episode by answering a listener question from a bi woman. While she is in a great relationship with a straight man, she sometimes likes to look at pictures of naked women — which her partner finds healthy, by the way. Her concern stems from a Bible passage that says, “if you look at a woman in lust you’ve already committed adultery in your heart.”  She adds: “Because when I look at pictures of a woman’s boobs I don’t actually have any true desire to have sex with her, it’s just a moment of fantasy, and I don’t know if indulging in that fantasy is wrong.” Then, we queer a very interesting text from Jonah in which you’ll see a petulant Jonah who God matched at being petty, too. We then call out those who have been against the LGTBQ community and have turned an abrupt 360 only after someone in their family comes out. We unpack so much in this episode so make sure you don’t miss it.  Key takeaways: Brian’s update, still from New York City [0:37] Fr. Shay: Fall educational programming (weird) kick-off [3:52] Listener question from a bi woman [7:32] Tune in to the intentions of your divine insight [9:12] Consent — is key [12:56] The transfigured course is now open and why Brian is excited about this course [13:08] Queering the Bible: Jonah 3:10-4:11 [17:39] Why is this text a quirky story? [19:24]  Jonah and God being petty [22:05] How people are “wishy-washy” about LGBTQ folks [23:19] What have you done to repair the harm you caused while you were on your journey? [25:40] Asking the question: ”Is your anger a good thing?” allows room for clarification [26:08] Link(s) mentioned in this episode: Transfigured: A Course in Trans Theology: queertheology.com/enroll QueerTheology.com/community If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Jonah 3:10-4:11 God saw what they were doing—that they had ceased their evil behavior. So God stopped planning to destroy them, and he didn’t do it. But Jonah thought this was utterly wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Come on, Lord! Wasn’t this precisely my point when I was back in my own land? This is why I fled to Tarshish earlier! I know that you are a merciful and compassionate God, very patient, full of faithful love, and willing not to destroy. At this point, Lord, you may as well take my life from me, because it would be better for me to die than to live.” The Lord responded, “Is your anger a good thing?” But Jonah went out from the city and sat down east of the city. There he made himself a hut and sat under it, in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a shrub, and it grew up over Jonah, providing shade for his head and saving him from his misery. Jonah was very happy about the shrub. But God provided a worm the next day at dawn, and it attacked the shrub so that it died. Then as the sun rose God provided a dry east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint. He begged that he might die, saying, “It’s better for me to die than to live.” God said to Jonah, “Is your anger about the shrub a good thing?” Jonah said, “Yes, my anger is good—even to the point of death!” But the Lord said, “You ‘pitied’ the shrub, for which you didn’t work and which you didn’t raise; it grew in a night and perished in a night. Yet for my part, can’t I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who can’t tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?” Photo by Matthew Brodeur The post Is Your Anger a Good Thing? – Jonah 3:10-4:11 appeared first on Queer Theology.

In today’s episode, we answer a reader question from Tumblr. He thinks that religions started out as anti-LGBT and over time many of them changed their views and became affirming. He wants to know: even though a lot of these religions are now advocates and allies of LGBTQ+ people, how can we be certain that being LGBTQ is not a sin considering that religious history?  We also queer a text from Romans: It’s one of those passages that often gets used against queer and trans folks, but don’t worry, that’s not the path that we’re going for today. What does it mean to be “weak in faith” and how does being LGBTQ fit in (or not) with that? Tune in to hear our take. Key takeaways: Fr. Shay recovery update [0:45] Brian’s New York City quarantine update [1:51] Reader question from Tumblr [3:54] Not realizing that we are swimming in white supremacy?[4:28] We bring our own assumptions to texts [6:42] Queering the Bible: Romans 14:1-12 [9:24]  Fr. Shay’s belief in honoring God while being queer [11:38] You don’t have to have queer sex [13:51] On having the inner sense of faith, self-confidence, and assurance — it is a gift [15:11] We need to do the work to figure out what it is we actually believe [17:14] When and where to put up boundaries on your convictions? [19:34] Link(s) mentioned in this episode: LIVE from Q Christian Fellowship Conference with Sarah Ngu of Church Clarity Queertheology.com/is-it-ok QueerTheology.com/community If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com  Romans 14:1-12 Welcome the person who is weak in faith—but not in order to argue about differences of opinion. One person believes in eating everything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Those who eat must not look down on the ones who don’t, and the ones who don’t eat must not judge the ones who do, because God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servants? They stand or fall before their own Lord (and they will stand, because the Lord has the power to make them stand). One person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another person considers all days to be the same. Each person must have their own convictions. Someone who thinks that a day is sacred, thinks that way for the Lord. Those who eat, eat for the Lord, because they thank God. And those who don’t eat, don’t eat for the Lord, and they thank the Lord too.  We don’t live for ourselves and we don’t die for ourselves. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God.  This is why Christ died and lived: so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you look down on your brother or sister? We all will stand in front of the judgment seat of God. Because it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me,     and every tongue will give praise to God. So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Photo by Logan Fisher The post Get Off The Hamster Wheel – Romans 14:1-12 appeared first on Queer Theology.