I am an ordained Christian minister in my 50’s with the impressive and standard master of divinity degree from an accredited institution. I studied the Christian Bible in Greek and Hebrew at several seminaries. After graduation and ordination, I served as a chaplain and took four immersive units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).
Chaplaincy is about deep listening and being completely present in a way that requires profound learning about oneself so that you don’t trip all over your own issues and lack of self-awareness when you are suppose to be providing care to someone else. CPE didn’t make me a perfect human but a better, less defensive one.
Some may disqualify me because I am queer myself. However, I bring my queer self to the service of your family. My agenda is to help the person(s) in the room who hire me. I believe that if I help you then I will have helped your queer child also.
My assumption here is that you love your child, want the best for them, want all of you to be happy and want a positive, healthy relationship in all directions for your whole long lives. Indeed, the greatest two commandments are those that, according to Jesus, call us to love. And, in the end, what more is there?
I spent my first 50 years living, thinking and relating in the world as a man. When I say to dads that I understand what it is like living in that body, expected to uphold certain functions in the family and society, taught to basically have one emotion (anger) and be guided by basic principles of respect, manhood and strength, I truly do know what it feels like and I have not forgotten.
Lastly, I have taken and I continue to take spiritual and religious beliefs seriously. Having diligently and earnestly translated Scripture to English, it frustrates me greatly when sacred texts are maliciously mis-translated and otherwise used for harm and manipulation. Whatever your religious understandings and principles, I welcome the discussion. I believe that different approaches to sacred texts, such as the Christian Bible, are the source of far more conflict than we are aware.
Again, how we choose to respectfully share life and freedom on this one planet with our one life matters greatly. All of our lives impact others.
