talk about god.

the 60some lady with the leather skin and involuntary hand twitch started off the meeting talking about the west michigan, conservative trifold: god and blessings and grace.  let's talk, she proposed, about the presence of god.  that familiar strong sense of aversion.  my skin began to crawl.  the chip was passed round the circle, to thine own self be true stenciled into the worn grooves.  it came my turn.  i will always be less than in their eyes and i have never gotten over it and religion is irrevocably tied up in it and i wanted to expand my love to people but how do i expand in love to the people who exclude.  

forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  the meeting is about to close.  "does anyone have anything to add?"

"i do."  it's her, bible in hand.  "i just want you to know you're not the only one here who's gay."  then it's the woman with the gay ex-husband--a man who "didn't choose it."  then it's the woman after woman who come up to me and apologize and hold me and don't let go.

my friend would've called it, god certainly has a sense of humor.