Church for LGBT - Open Table MCC - Philippines

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.”

This is the lectionary reading from last week because we didn’t have worship. This is a common lectionary reading when Advent is approaching. We are not yet in Advent, but this is a story that I sometimes preach at weddings and Holy Unions. I can preach it with my eyes closed because I’ve been using it for 12 years now in weddings.

Based on this reading, the Sadducees, a sect of Jewish religious leaders, asked Jesus a parable question. The question arises because they did not believe in the resurrection from the dead or the afterlife. There is nothing in the Old Testament that says anything definitive about the afterlife. Did you know that? In the Old Testament, very rarely does it mention anything about the afterlife. The only thing mostly said in the Hebrew Testament is that the dead go to Sheol. Sheol is not hell; everyone in the Old Testament goes to Sheol, the land of the dead, where one perspective is that the dead are in a sleep-like state. There is also no mention of heaven or hell for the dead in the Old Testament.

Since there is almost nothing mentioned apart from Sheol, there was a group of Jewish leaders in the time of Jesus who held two positions: either there is something we don’t know about because the prophets and the Old Testament did not say anything, or there’s really nothing to it. The belief was: when you’re dead, you’re just “poof.” This was the perspective of the Sadducees, in comparison to the Pharisees, the tradition Jesus belonged to, that believed in and preached about the afterlife.

The Sadducees, who were the religious and political leaders in the temple, asked Jesus to challenge his knowledge and preaching through a parable. The parable tells of a man who married a woman but died immediately. Part of their law—the Old Testament Law, the Torah—states that if a man dies childless, his surviving brother is required to marry the widow. In the parable, the widow married the next brother, but he also died. This continued until all seven brothers died after being married to this woman. Finally, the woman also died.

So here’s the question the Sadducees posed to Jesus: if the resurrection is true, who will be the legally recognized husband of this woman? All seven marriages were valid according to the Torah and the law. They could not imagine a woman having multiple husbands, although, conversely, one man could have multiple wives. A woman having seven husbands was unthinkable to them.

So, the question: if the resurrection is real, who will be this woman’s legal husband in the new life?

Jesus’s answer is: “When the time comes, there shall be those who are worthy of the kingdom, who will neither be received nor given into marriage, and they will be like angels of God who will forever be in God’s presence, praising, worshiping, and giving thanks to God.” That’s Jesus’s point. In the resurrection, no one will be received or given in marriage.

I always say this during a Holy Union: if the resurrection and the Judgment Day are true—when we face God in our death—it means all marriages are void. That’s basically what Jesus is saying. To the question, “Who is the legal husband of this woman in the resurrection?” Jesus answers, “When the time comes, no one shall be given and received into marriage.” Marriage will cease. We will be transformed like unto angels of God.

What this means is that who you are married to, who your partner is, or what your partner is, does not matter to your salvation. How you treat your partner is what matters. There’s a difference there. How you treat your partner? Yes. But who your partner is or whether you have a partner or no partner at all will not be the basis of your salvation. Basically, that’s what Jesus said.

By extension, because marriage, at least in their context (and we can bring this to today’s context), is heavily gendered. Under patriarchal norms during the time of Jesus and even now under heteronormative patriarchal norms, pag-aasawa (marriage) is gendered. Some churches say it is only between a man and a woman because you have to bear children, and you can only bear children after you get the blessing of marriage.

By extension, not only does marriage have nothing to do with your salvation, but your gender or sexuality has nothing to do with salvation either. In the same way that who your spouse is has nothing to do with your salvation, your sexuality has nothing to do with your salvation.

However, how you practice your sexuality or gender expression and identity could have something to do with salvation. Even for progressive and LGBT-affirming churches, even though we affirm and proclaim that your same-sex relationship or your transgender identity is not a sin (based on our theological and biblical understanding), how you express that may or may not be good or bad.

We can still ask, are gay people committing bad things? Yes. Are people still doing certain bad things with or without their sexuality involved? Yes. But their sexuality—our sexuality per se—is not a factor in our salvation or what it means to be a good or bad person.

This week is Transgender Awareness Week, and this coming week is Transgender Day of Remembrance. To those people who are saying that being transgender or being gay is an abomination or a sin, I guess one particular affirming passage is this one. It’s also an affirming passage even for straight people, as it says that marriage is not the only path to a correct Christian life. Even having a stereotypical Christian life—that you have a Christian family, are married, have children, and are in the church—can be oppressive to some people, even straight people. Jesus tells us: it doesn’t even matter when the time comes. No one shall be given into marriage. All marriages shall become void. It does not matter.

And here’s another beautiful point, especially for Transgender Month. It says that when the resurrection happens, we shall be transformed like unto angels of God. What does that mean? In the historical theological development of the concept of spirits or angels, either they are genderless (because they are spirits), or the spirit that manifests into a physical being can choose whichever gender they manifest themselves as. So, if we are to become, if this physical body is to be transformed in the resurrection of the dead like angels of God, then you are either genderless or “gender-full,” or a being with many eyes or many heads, as in the Book of Ezekiel. In this sense, the direction for whoever is “worthy of the resurrection of the dead” is to be transformed, to transcend the human body like unto the angels of God.

So I am here to tell you, with the parable of Jesus and the answer to the Sadducees’ question, that in the end, it’s really just about us. How did we really live a life of kindness and generosity towards each other and people, especially the poor? This is Luke’s gospel, after all. I’ve said it several times: the Gospel of Luke is the most pro-poor, pro-oppressed gospel. The word ‘poor’ is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke more times than in the other gospels. The Gospel of Luke is where we find this story. And in relation to being pro-poor, there is an anti-rich message as well.

The only thing that matters to Jesus in the Gospel of Luke is not marriage or being married, but how we treat the lowliest, the poorest, and the most vulnerable in our world.

I challenge you this week: read the Gospel of Luke page to page. It’s only 24 chapters. You will see that Jesus’s primary concern—at least in the Gospel of Luke—is that salvation is about two things:

That is the biblical framing and core of the Gospel of Luke. The story of the rich man and Lazarus is only found in the Gospel of Luke. In that story, it is not explicitly said that the rich man did anything bad, but the rich man did not do what was in his power to do. He saw the poor man every day and did nothing.

So at the end of it, whether you’re straight, you’re gay, you’re trans, you’re Black, you’re white, you’re yellow, whatever you are, however you identify—married, non-married, single, blessed, celibate, not celibate, whatever it is—the question of our lives will just be: How did you grow to be loving and kind to the most vulnerable among us and in the world? That is the only question of our lives.

This is confirmed in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 25. When Jesus tells the story of the actual end of the world, the actual Judgment Day, he asks: “When I was hungry, did you feed me? When I was thirsty, did you give me something to drink? When I was a stranger, did you welcome me? I was naked, did you give me clothes? I was sick or in prison, did you visit me?”

That’s the only question. “For if you have done this to the least of these, you have done it to me.”

God will not ask about your religion. God will not ask, “Are you a member of MCC? Are you a member of the Catholic Church or the Born Again Church or any other church that claims to have the only salvation?” God will not ask. The question of our lives will simply be: “How did you grow in love and serve God by serving people?” Amen.

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Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

“Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.

“Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

It’s All Saints Weekend and the first Sunday of November. 

November is also Transgender Awareness month. 

So today we honor and remember our Queer Saints, especially those that we honor in this church  – Unang-una is of course our very own – Kuya Michael Mia and Choi Discipulo.  

Then of course si Fr. Richard Mickley the Father of MCC in the Philippines and co-organizer of  the first Pride march in the Philippines and all of Asia.  

Then we also remember the spouse of kuya Vince, si Pastor Egay of MCC Makati and then our  kababayan na naging significant leader sa Founders MCC and music ministry volunteer sa global  MCC – si Rev. Camille Rodriguez Araullo.  

Our scripture reading for today is the Beatitudes from the version of the gospel of Luke, which I  have mentioned in the past as the most pro-poor and pro-oppressed gospel. The poor is mentioned  more times in Luke than in Matthew, Mark, and John. It also has the thematic of Metanoia which  is often translated into “repentance” which I would argue that in some instances, the word  transformation might be closer or more relevant to use.  

Mapapansin natin sa gospel of Luke etong mensahe ng pagpapantay – Equality or common good.  Yung pag-aalis ng gap or space between rich and poor. In the song of Mary of Nazareth nung  pinagbubuntis nya si Hesus at binisita nya ang nakakatandang pinsan nyang si Elizabeth, kumanta  sya na tinatawag nating Magnificat – hango dun sa salitang “Magnify” sa unang part nung song,  “My soul magnifies the Lord”. In the song of Mary while Jesus was in her belly. She declared, pull  down the mighty from their thrones and then uplift the lowly.  

Ibaba ang mga makapangyarihan at itaas o lingapin ang mga mabababa at mahihirap.  Sent away the rich empty and fill the poor and hungry with all good things.  Ito ay pagpapantay at pag-aalis nung economic gap between two groups of people.  

Ngayon, we read this again here in the beatitudes according to Luke and not surprising, the same  is mentioned only in a slightly different way. 

Jesus in the Luke says – Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God.  Kapuspusan sa inyong mga maralita pagkat para sa inyo ang kaharian ng Diyos. 

Then later Jesus says, Woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation.  

Napaka gentle nyang “Woe to you”… actually, nagmumura si Jesus dyan… Mga PI kayong mga  Makapangyarihan pagkat nakuha nyo na ang inyong kaginhawahan or aliw.  

Side note kasi palaging maraming nag-rereact when the word “rich” is mentioned and they are  criticized with hard language that comes from no less than Jesus himself. 

May particular na context at category ng mayaman sa gospels. Pag sinabing mayaman sa gospels  and maybe even sa old testament prophets, ang ibig sabihin nila dito ay yung Mayaman na sa  sobrang yaman ay may kapangyarihang magdikta at magimpluwensya sa kalagayan ng isang  bansa. The gospels are contextually specific when it refers to the rich as someone whose wealth  gives the person or family power to dictate or influence the life and direction of an entire nation or  an entire society. So for example, the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus – the rich man there  was said to be wearing purple.  

Purple was not something a middle class person wore. Purple was reserved for the Roman Emperor  and the imperial Family. Sometimes to some extent, to some of the Roman Senators and  magistrates. Sometimes to the local Kings like Herod, that were sanctioned by the Roman Empire.  Putting that into today’s perspective, sino-sino ba ang makokonsider natin na mga Emperor, royal  dynasties, and magistrates of today? Another story says that there was a rich young man who came  to Jesus asking on how to receive the kingdom of God. A young man – isang Binatang lalake  between ages 16 to 22 years old back then are not capable of accumulating a wealth that can  influence nations or societies, or even a community. It only means, this young man inherited his  wealth from his parents. Generational wealth. So, pag binabatanan ni Jesus ang mga “mayayaman”  sa gospels and pag ito ay namemention sa social justice homily ni Father sa roman catholic or IFI  or sa mga pastor sa UCCP or Methodist, hindi yan nagrerefer sayo or sa inyo. Wag mong isipin na  ikaw yun porket nakapag-japan ka lang or nakarating ka sa Europe para magbakasayon. Yung  Yaman na tinutukoy sa Gospels ay yung kayamanan na may kapangyarihan na bumili ng buhay o  pumatay ng buhay. Yung sobrang yaman mo kaya mong bimili ng mga tao. Sa sobrang yaman mo,  pwede mong bilhin ang boto ng taong bayan. Sa sobrang yaman mo, pwde kang patuloy na  magnakaw at hindi mapanagot kahit buking ka na. Hanggat wala kang ganyang kayamanan, hindi  ka considered rich sa standards ng bible. Wag kang feeling. At tayo rito sa Open Table MCC…  walang mayaman dito sa totoo lang. If you are 1 major sickness away from becoming poor and  homeless, hindi ka rich and I would argue, ni hindi ka Talaga middle class.  

Anyway… going back. Habang paliwanagan sa word na “Rich” para lang hindi mabash ng mga  pro-rich gays. 

So the gospel of Luke understands the life, words, and mission of Jesus as a mission of lessening  the gaps between people especially the economic gap of rick and poor, and what it means to be  blessed – pinagpala or pinuspos – is be poor or to be on the side of the poor, the oppressed, and  the marginalized. Blessed are poor… blessed are the hungry… blessed those who weep…  Mapuspus kayong mga maralita… kayong mga nagugutom… kayong mga nagluluksa… because  during the time of Jesus more than half of the population were starving to death. There was constant  death and torture by the Romans and the local padrino-kings and principalities – hence there was  also constant weeping or pagluluksa of mothers and wives losing their children and their husbands.  

The vision of Jesus in the gospel of Luke starting with his own mother is put on the same level the  mighty who exploit the people and poor people from below who are exploited, to bring the rich 

and the poor into the middle class and doing so, mawawalan na ng upper class, lower class, and  middle class.  

So paano natin ito idudugtung sa all Saints weekend? Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng pagiging Santo  o Banal? Does this mean ang pagiging banal ay naachieve ang isang state of life na hindi ka na  nagkakamali o nagkukulang? Ibig sabihin ba ng banal ay absolute trust and perfect faith kay Jesus  Christ? Does it mean to say praying 3, 5 or 7 times a day?  

I find inspiration first and foremost sa mga katolikong Santo tulad ni Bishop Oscar Romero of El  Salvador na ipinaglaban ang mga mahihirap sa kanyang bayan at buong tapang na tinuligsa ang  injustices and oppression ng gobyerno at militar. Like Jesus his Lord, he stood up and spoke to  remove the gap caused by injustice. Pero yung gap ay hindi lamang socio-economic although  palaging factor yan… sa karanasan nating LGBTQIA+ meron ding gap sa atin because how church  and society looks down and puts down our sexuality and gender identity and so, I find inspiration  and comfort with our own Troy Perry and Richard Mickley, for each of their own courage to  remove the social, economic, political, and spiritual gap of society relating to queer people.  Economic gap din kasi yan na hndi ka makakuha ng maayos na trabaho kasi ginagamit laban sayo  ang pagiging LGBTQIA+ mo. Hindi ka makakuha ng ayuda and other government services kasi  queer ka at hindi kinikilala ng batas ang relationship nyo ng partner mo.  

So what does it mean to be a saint – isang banal – sa panahon natin ngayon.  

It means that we carry the mission – the cross – of Jesus and the saints and martyrs after him – forward. Ang pagiging santo ay ang pagbibitbit at pagsusumikap sa misyon ni Hesus to pull down  the mighty from their thrones and uplift the lowly so that everyone will be middle class – yung  buhay na sapat para sa lahat. Buhay na hindi sobra-sobra pero hindi rin kulang. To be a saint is to  participate in removing the social, economic, political, and spiritual gaps that separate and oppress  people. If you, me, we do each of our part to eradicate these gaps… maybe, just maybe we will be  worthy to be called saints and counted in the great cloud of witnesses. 

Because to be a saint is not to claim it for yourself. Never. Hindi ikaw ang magsasabing santo ka  in the same manner na hind imo idedeclare ang sarili mo bilang Pastor or Bishop. It is God and the  people of God who calls you saint and considers you worthy to be counted to the communion of  saints. It is God who knows our hearts and it is the people who sees and discerns our service and  character.  

Let us remember the saints and martyrs who came before us and who went ahead of us into the  blessed realm. May we learn from their lives and struggles, and find inspiration to continue our  own participation to the blessed work of Jesus Christ of pulling down the mighty and raising up  the lowly, and blessing the poor, the hungry, and those who are weeping. Tungo sa mundong wala  ng mayaman o mahirap… puro middle class na lang na merong sapat na kasiya-siya. Sya Nawa.  Amen. 

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Our Pastor’s Month series continues with its fourth installment, featuring guest preacher Rev. Gina Perez (IFI). She shared her compelling testimony as a female priest, emphasizing that answering God’s divine call is not constrained by gender or any other external category.

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For our third Sunday of Pastor’s Month, Pastor Gary Chan of Free Community Church Singapore shares his story about forming the only queer-affirming church in his country.

His preaching emphasizes that we are all called to be participants in our communities, rather than being just mere spectators or receivers. He also touches on subjects of healing which is rooted in love.

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For our second Sunday of Pastor’s Month, Rev. Carleen Nomorosa opens up about the unique struggles she faced pursuing her pastoral vocation while being raised by two lesbian mothers.

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This Pastor’s Month, Pastor Joseph San Jose shares his journey of becoming the pastor of Open Table MCC – a story of faith, struggle, and shepherding a radically-inclusive church for queer and progressive people.

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The divide between many in the LGBT+ community and institutional religion is deep, carved out by years of exclusion, judgment, and spiritual injury inflicted by churches. For those who feel called to both their authentic selves and a spiritual life, how do we bridge this great divide? How do we build new bridges of radical inclusion, unconditional love, and mutual respect? What is the role of a “bridge” in the context of bridging religion and spirituality?

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In this preaching, we will discuss about the concept of accountability from both a spiritual and societal perspective. Spirituality acknowledges two aspects of human existence: being “wonderfully made” in God’s image, and also being imperfect with destructive tendencies.

A central theme is the widespread difficulty people have in admitting they are wrong. This problem of accountability affects personal relationships, communities, and even government officials, and often stems from a culture that equates accountability with revenge or punishment. We need to distinguish true accountability from revenge and anger, emphasizing that the process of accountability is a way to heal broken connections through grace and restoration.

Accountability is a way for grace to restore and transform individuals and requires a humble spirit to admit wrongdoings, which is a difficult but necessary step for personal and spiritual maturity. The message extends beyond the personal to the communal and societal levels, referencing biblical passages that provide a process for resolving conflicts within a community. Spiritual traditions, including Christianity, teach ways of accountability and restorative justice at all levels of life, and calls on the church to be a community that raises mature Christians who are accountable to one another and also hold those in power accountable for the sake of restoration and justice.

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For the first sermon in our “Spiritual & Religious” Teaching Series, we explored a question that many of us have asked: “Is it really separate?” The question refers to the perceived divide between being “spiritual” and being “religious.”

The sermon defined spirituality as a deep connection—to ourselves, to others, to nature, and to what we consider holy. It’s about how we care for and nourish these connections with love and compassion. This understanding of spirituality isn’t a solo journey; it’s inherently communal.

Religion, on the other hand, comes from the word “religare,” which means “to bind.” Historically, religion was a way to bring people together through shared beliefs, stories, and rituals, providing a sense of community and a framework for life’s biggest questions.

However, as we’ve seen, religion has often been associated with negative experiences. For many, it conjures up thoughts of rules, judgment, and divisiveness. We acknowledge that religion, when it becomes legalistic or hypocritical, can cause harm.

Our main takeaway from the sermon is that spirituality and religion are not meant to be separate. A spirituality that is disconnected from the well-being of others is not true spirituality. And a religion that harms people loses its purpose.

The work of our church is to be a safe space—a place where people who have been hurt by religion can find healing without giving up on their faith. Our goal is to foster a community rooted in love, relationships, and restoration. The core message of Christianity is simple: to love God, to love others, and to love ourselves. This is the foundation upon which everything else is built.

We are called to be known by the love we have for one another, and in doing so, we can bridge the gap between spirituality and religion, creating a community that truly reflects the love of God.

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“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those young women got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the other young women came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

For thousands of years, olive oil was important in the ancient Canaan. So, before there was even Palestine or modern state of Israel, there was the ancient Canaan.

Olive oil was important in Canaan and ancient Israel up to the time of Jesus. And all the way to the time of the Ottoman Empire, the Roman Empire before that, and up to now, in the land of Palestine, illegally occupied by the modern state of Israel.

Olive oil was used in so many ways, from food to healing and wellness, export and trade, as well as fuel for evening lights when there was still no electricity.

Today, in almost all church buildings in the Holy Land, olive oil continues to be used for oil lamps. Olive oil was deeply part of the life, culture, and religion of the people. Olive oil was used in almost everything, and therefore, greatly valued and loved. Olive oil was life. It was life. It was healing, it was worship, it was celebration for thousands of years for the people living and dying in the lands of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Canaan, Greece, and many other neighboring places in the Mediterranean.

In our Gospel Reading, from the Gospel according to Matthew, there was a wedding that was about to happen. Though the people in the story were waiting for the bridegroom, who was said to be late.

And like today, in the story, the parable distinguishes two types of bridesmaids. Those who had more than enough oil and those who did not.

In the story, the Greek word translated as “foolish” in English might also be translated as “naive.” So, it can be translated as “naive” rather than “foolish.”

The bridesmaids, all 10 of them, fell asleep waiting. Five were wise, five were naive. (Not foolish. The Greek text supports that reading or that translation.)

The Gospel says that one group of the bridesmaids, who were “wise,” took flasks of oil together with their lamps. But it did not say where they got their extra oil. Readers for several hundred years, assumed and imagined that the wise ones went to the market to buy extra. Pero hindi ‘yon sinabi doon sa story. We just imagined and assumed that. We imagined this because the last part of the story, the last part of the parable, ‘yon ‘yong ginawa ng mga naive.

It did not say where and how they got their additional flasks of oil.

As my former professor suggests, no one is foolish among the bridesmaids. It is illogical and unthinkable that some of them would not have sufficient oil in their oil lamps given the situation and the anticipation of the bridegroom and the celebration that would transpire when he arrived. It is safe and it is logical to assume that everyone was prepared.

Perhaps as the original Greek supports the other five were naive enough to think that there will be sufficient for everyone, and no one will take advantage of them. They were also naive to think that everyone will be kind and compassionate, sharing resources as they did. That if they just were neighborly, others will be neighborly with them. However, then and now, there will be those who will take advantage of the naive kindness and innocence of some. Overnight, like the coming of the bridegroom, Palestinians, like the women in the story, not only lost their oil, but they were also pushed out, and then walled out from community and from the celebration. Their oil (we can also imagine and assume) were taken by the wise and the coming. Therefore, they were forced to leave by circumstance to look for oil outside. And then when they returned, they were not allowed to enter. They were walled out. Or more accurately, walled in.

Today, what many people of faith considers to be “holyland,” The kingdom of God, it is as it was in the parable: the wise and the cunning – took away not only the oil from the Palestinian Christians and Palestinian Muslims, and perhaps some Palestinian Jews, who were living harmoniously with each other for hundreds and hundreds of years, but took away even their land where the Olive trees grow.

And there are stories that olive trees are not “trees” for the people growing them. The trees are considered as “family.” Took away their land with olive trees to grow. Took away their homes where their families from countless generations lived and celebrated weddings and festivals. They took their homes and have shut the door.

The wise Zionists have put up great walls and told the Palestinian women, like in the story, “Go away, I do not know you.”

Walled out.

And even with the agreements and international laws passed, the wise continue to take more and more of the territories of what has already been agreed upon. They continue to take olive trees and oil. Homes and land, rights and freedom. Even today.

But do you think that this is unique to Palestine? Ang nangyayari ba sa Palestine ay kanila lang? Napakalayo mula sa atin?

From the Spanish colonization up to the American colonization, and all the way to the early days of the Philippine Republic after World War II.

There were continued attempts to Christianize Mindanao, through small but frequent influx of migrants from Luzon. Some Tagalogs and a lot of Ilocanos migrated to Mindanao. There were some mentions that during the Martial Law, Marcos Senior encouraged many Filipinos from Luzon and other places to relocate to Mindanao.

It’s our version of occupation.

It is alleged that Marcos Senior and his military created the infamous “Ilaga,” an unofficial group of mercenaries created to attack Moro and Lumad communities. And consequently, taking land and territories from the Lumad and the Moros.

These stories were common in Mindanao.

Do you know that like Palestine, Mindanao is also called the land of promise because of the natural resources that has not yet been fully tapped. It is also called the land of promise because it is also known as a rich agricultural land. And so, as Filipinos, we do have historical experience, a little bit of the same as those of the Palestinians. Our Moro and Lumad siblings from Mindanao, knows the occupation and annexation even today by Luzon occupiers in Imperial Manila.

Some of them experience the wise Manilenyos and other Tagalogs, tulad ng mga bridesmaid na natulog lang nang sandali at paggising nila, kulang na ang kanilang langis, maraming Moro at katutubo ang nagulat na lamang na ang lupa at likas na yaman ay kinukuha na sa kanila. It is therefore no wonder that it was us, the Philippines, as one of the crucial and deciding vote in the UN for the creation of the modern state of Israel. (Na sobrang nagpapasalamat ang modern state of Israel in perpetuity, puwede tayong pumunta sa kanila nang walang visa.)

It is no wonder that we voted because we were doing the same to Mindanao almost at the same time, And also because we were under strong American neo-colonizing control at the time.

But here is the real question: so what? Why should we care as Filipino LGBTQIA+ people who are far and distant both from Mindanao and from Palestine? Why should we care? Bakit natin kailangan maging maalam at mamulat sa nangyayari sa Palestina? Bakit natin kailangan mapakinggan ang kanilang kuwento, kasaysayan, at mga nangyayari sa kanila ngayon? Bakit?

First, because you are human. Because they are human. If you do not care or feel nothing for them, maybe you should look deep into yourself for your humanity. The the first and primary reason why should anyone care is because we are human and they are human.

Second. For this church, and for many LGBT organizations, we advocate and voice out and do a lot of things and projects in the name of human rights and human dignity. And therefore, I cannot imagine any LGBT organization who does not support the right to life, the right to freedom of the Palestinian people who have been suffering for decades. We should support and pray for any people, not just the Palestinians, For any people who are deprived of rights and dignity, or worse, killed because of their rights and dignity.

Third. As LGBT people, because we know what it means to be dispossessed, like the Palestinians. Many LGBTQIA+ people are excluded and thrown out of their own homes or stay in a home that feels like a suffocating prison. To be used and abused with our gifts and resources, to be used and abused by the “wise” and the cunning, na pinapakinabangan lamang tayo pero ‘pag wala nang kailangan sa atin, we’re thrown out as fast as fast and as soon as they can. We know what it means to be in constant fear for our lives and well-being because of extremist people, particularly extremist people who use faith for their purposes. And some of them are even within our own families. Because we have Palestinian LGBTQIA+ sisters and brothers and siblings who are also dying right now in Gaza. And being dispossessed in the West Bank.

Now, I recognize, and we have to recognize, that there’s very little we can do. Minsan, ‘yan ‘yong rason bakit ayaw nating makialam, ayaw nating pakinggan, ayaw nating panoorin, because we feel that there is almost nothing that we can do. And valid ‘yan. Ang pakiramdam na ‘yan, valid ‘yong discomfort. Valid ‘yan.

Every week, since 2019, we have been praying for the Palestinian people and other places of conflict in our worship. We continue to pray for them, not as an excuse to do nothing. But continue to pray for them with the understanding that sometimes, given the circumstance, it is one of the best things we can do for them, and for ourselves, and for our humanity. Continue to inform yourself and others. continue to share accurate information about Palestine and modern-day Israel. As best as we can, let us stop purchasing Starbucks and McDonalds, and other companies that support what’s happening in Israel. Maybe not always, but as much as you are able and can avoid those companies who support gencide.

If possible, kung posible, kaya ng oras n’yo, paminsan-minsan, makialam naman tayo. Mag-attend tayo if there’s a call for protest or rally for Palestine. If you have some money to spare donate to reputable organizations who have access and can provide assistance on the ground.

Today, there’s no anticipation or preparation for any celebration of any wedding or festival in the land many people claim to be holy. No flower girls, nor bridesmaids, smiling and laughing while holding oil lamps. Only despair. Only death. Only destruction which they been experiencing for decades.

Knowing what it means to be thrown out, excluded, and dispossessed. Knowing what it means to live in fear or feel like you are in prison inside the closet. I encourage you. And if you are a follower of Jesus (who is a Palestinian from Nazareth from Galilee.) We should support every Palestinian girl and indeed everyone of them whose oil and oil lamps has been taken and put out. Let us support them in the name of Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus, who lived in Galilea Palestina, but who continues to do so in the bodies of every Palestinian living and dying today.

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